Pope Warns Against Religious Apathy
Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
Pope Benedict, with Ms. Merkel, arrived in Berlin Thursday, where he began a four-day visit to his native land.
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BERLIN—Pope Benedict XVI warned against the growing apathy toward religion in his homeland on the first day of his first state visit to Germany that has drawn both the faithful and angry protesters.
"We are witnessing a growing indifference to religion in society, which considers the issue of truth as something of an obstacle in its decision-making, and instead gives priority to utilitarian considerations," Pope Benedict said after meeting with German President Christian Wulff. "Religion is one of these foundations for a successful social life."
Germans are struggling with what are seen by some as outdated aspects of the Catholic Church, including the disapproval of homosexuality and the limited role for women in leadership.
Tens of thousands of people have left the German church this year, according to the German Bishops' Conference, though Catholics still account for roughly 30% of the country's roughly 80 million population.
Though many here take pride in the pope's German roots, a recent sex-abuse scandal involving clergy has damaged the Catholic Church's standing in the country. Hundreds of sex-abuse allegations surfaced last year, prompting a series of investigations.
The pope celebrated an evening Mass Thursday for more than 60,000 followers in Berlin's historic Olympic Stadium, where he was greeted by an enthusiastic crowd and a sea of yellow Vatican flags. Some senior German politicians, including Chancellor Angela Merkel, who isn't Catholic, also attended.
"It's an important experience for Berlin," said Julius Schantz, 64 years old, a Catholic who came hours before the Mass to make sure he was on time.
The pope also is scheduled to visit Erfurt and Freiburg during his four-day visit.
In his speech to parliament, he focused on the lessons to be learned from Germany's role in World War II and the place he hopes God will play in the country going forward.
Germans "have seen how power became divorced from right, how power opposed right and crushed it, so that the state became an instrument for destroying right—a highly organized band of robbers, capable of threatening the whole world and driving it to the edge of the abyss," he said. "To serve right and to fight against the dominion of wrong is and remains the fundamental task of the politician."
Hundreds of demonstrators, meanwhile, marched through Berlin's city center Thursday afternoon to protest the pope's visit. Several adults who say they were abused by clergy members as children held a small rally at Brandenburg Gate, urging the pope and other church members to take firm steps to prevent further cases.
Many Germans would like Pope Benedict to publicly address the church's handling of abuse cases, including those in Germany during his tenure as the archbishop of Munich and Freising from 1977 to 1982. The pope is expected to meet privately with abuse victims during his visit, but he didn't address the issue on Thursday.
The pope, who was elected in 2005, has made a central goal of his papacy reversing the decline of Catholic influence in Europe. But so far it has been a challenge, as clergy child sex-abuse scandals across Europe shake the church.
Even as some in Germany question the church's response to the scandal, the pope's visit has drawn an emotional response from faithful across the country.
Mr. Schantz said that the scandal wouldn't drive him from the church and is seen by most Catholics as a surmountable problem that will not have a long-term effect. "I can understand that there are protesters here, but in Berlin there are always protesters," he said.
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online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904563904576586990291569826.html
On German Visit, Pontiff Addresses Falling Church Influence, as He Is Met With Reverence and Protests
By LAURA STEVENS
Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesPope Benedict, with Ms. Merkel, arrived in Berlin Thursday, where he began a four-day visit to his native land.
======================================================
BERLIN—Pope Benedict XVI warned against the growing apathy toward religion in his homeland on the first day of his first state visit to Germany that has drawn both the faithful and angry protesters.
"We are witnessing a growing indifference to religion in society, which considers the issue of truth as something of an obstacle in its decision-making, and instead gives priority to utilitarian considerations," Pope Benedict said after meeting with German President Christian Wulff. "Religion is one of these foundations for a successful social life."
Germans are struggling with what are seen by some as outdated aspects of the Catholic Church, including the disapproval of homosexuality and the limited role for women in leadership.
Tens of thousands of people have left the German church this year, according to the German Bishops' Conference, though Catholics still account for roughly 30% of the country's roughly 80 million population.
Though many here take pride in the pope's German roots, a recent sex-abuse scandal involving clergy has damaged the Catholic Church's standing in the country. Hundreds of sex-abuse allegations surfaced last year, prompting a series of investigations.
The pope celebrated an evening Mass Thursday for more than 60,000 followers in Berlin's historic Olympic Stadium, where he was greeted by an enthusiastic crowd and a sea of yellow Vatican flags. Some senior German politicians, including Chancellor Angela Merkel, who isn't Catholic, also attended.
"It's an important experience for Berlin," said Julius Schantz, 64 years old, a Catholic who came hours before the Mass to make sure he was on time.
The pope also is scheduled to visit Erfurt and Freiburg during his four-day visit.
In his speech to parliament, he focused on the lessons to be learned from Germany's role in World War II and the place he hopes God will play in the country going forward.
Germans "have seen how power became divorced from right, how power opposed right and crushed it, so that the state became an instrument for destroying right—a highly organized band of robbers, capable of threatening the whole world and driving it to the edge of the abyss," he said. "To serve right and to fight against the dominion of wrong is and remains the fundamental task of the politician."
Hundreds of demonstrators, meanwhile, marched through Berlin's city center Thursday afternoon to protest the pope's visit. Several adults who say they were abused by clergy members as children held a small rally at Brandenburg Gate, urging the pope and other church members to take firm steps to prevent further cases.
Many Germans would like Pope Benedict to publicly address the church's handling of abuse cases, including those in Germany during his tenure as the archbishop of Munich and Freising from 1977 to 1982. The pope is expected to meet privately with abuse victims during his visit, but he didn't address the issue on Thursday.
The pope, who was elected in 2005, has made a central goal of his papacy reversing the decline of Catholic influence in Europe. But so far it has been a challenge, as clergy child sex-abuse scandals across Europe shake the church.
Even as some in Germany question the church's response to the scandal, the pope's visit has drawn an emotional response from faithful across the country.
Mr. Schantz said that the scandal wouldn't drive him from the church and is seen by most Catholics as a surmountable problem that will not have a long-term effect. "I can understand that there are protesters here, but in Berlin there are always protesters," he said.
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online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904563904576586990291569826.html
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