Germany Finally Loves Her Own

JMJ+D

It looks like Germany is having a change of heart. After the election of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, the Germans are now buying his books, baptizing their children, enrolling in theology classes, remaining Catholic instead of abandoning the faith, and naming their sons Benedict. Hey, even Hans Kung likes Benedict. Well, how could you not, if the rest of the world does?!

Here is part of the report by Berlin-base journalist Vicente Poveda who gives an account of this latest news:

ROME, MAY 4, 2006 (Zenit.org).- "Oh, mein Gott!" was the front-page headline of the German newspaper Die Tageszeitung the day after Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger's election as Pope. A year after that negatively charged exclamation, the headlines in the Holy Father's native country are highlighting the "beneficial" effect of the election of a German Pontiff. There seems to be a rebirth of the faith in Germany, some observers say. The number of students of theology and of adult baptisms is increasing, as is that of Catholics returning to the Church. Meanwhile, the number of those leaving the Church is decreasing, reveals a study carried out by Vicente Poveda Soler, correspondent of the main German news agency, Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA).

Poveda explained during the fifth Professional Seminar of the Church's Communication Offices, held at the University of the Holy Cross in Rome from April 27-29, that "the main criticisms of Ratzinger were always in Germany." But since his election to the papacy, "a new approach has been generated toward the figure of the Pontiff," said Poveda.

Rehabilitation

Benedict XVI's papacy "has been amply analyzed by the press as an important step
in the total rehabilitation of the country 60 years after the liberation of Auschwitz, Hitler's suicide and the end of World War II," said the journalist. He gave numerous examples to illustrate this change. The German Language Society voted the phrase "Somos Papa" as the second most important expression of the year 2005, only surpassed by "Bundeskanzlerin," the feminine for "federal chancellor," after Angela Merkel's election.

The DPA's Spanish correspondent in Berlin pointed out that "the most important politicians of the country, from Merkel to President Horst Köhler and the former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, spoke of their 'pride' over Ratzinger's election, despite the fact all of them are Protestants." Moreover, Poveda observed that "the country's most popular television presenters, such as Harald Schmidt and Stefan Raab, acknowledge they read the Pope's works, whose sales took off after his election."

Poveda, who has a degree in institutional communication from the German Academy of Public Relations in Frankfurt, said that before there was a "negative environment against the official Church -- 'Amtskirche' -- that is, 'Rome,'" and it is due to a strong media presence of Catholic critics: the Wir Sind Kirche group, Hans Küng and Eugen Drewermann." The most significant change is that the Pope has passed from being regarded as "guardian of the faith" to "pastor."

Read the rest here.