The American Spectator : Benedict Among the Germans

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Benedict Among the Germans

By Samuel Gregg on 9.12.11 @ 6:08AM

His upcoming trip may well be one of his biggest challenges.

Putting aside all the clichés about Catholic popes in the land of Luther, Benedict XVI's forthcoming trip to his native Germany later this month comes at a crucial time for that country. Having just swept all before him in Zapatero's Spain, Benedict may very well find Germany to be one of his bigger challenges.

In some respects, contemporary Germany is a victim of its own success. Economically-speaking, Germany is Europe's powerhouse these days. Thanks to the persistence of a rather un-European work-ethic but also economic reforms implemented from 2003 onwards, Germany has largely escaped the sclerosis presently disfiguring Western Europe.

That's both a blessing and a curse. Germany's economic dynamism has prevented Europe's problems from becoming far worse. Yet it also means Germany finds itself propping up a political experiment (otherwise known as the euro) that's tottering under the weight of its internal contradictions. As the German tabloid Bild put it: "Will we finally have to pay for all of Europe?"

Looking beyond the present, however, grave challenges lie ahead for Germany -- not all of which are economic.

Germany has, for instance, one of Western Europe's worst birthrates. That spells trouble for Germany's future productivity and its welfare state. A second issue is Germany's struggle with the questions of immigration and non-assimilated Muslim minorities and the subsequently-inevitable always-awkward debates about what it means to be German in modern Europe.

These and other issues will make particular demands upon some of Germany's biggest culture-shaping institutions. Not all of these, however, are well-positioned to respond. That includes Germany's Catholic Church.

On the surface, the German Church's problems are manifested in the large numbers of German Catholics who say they've left the church in recent years (the very liberal Protestant German churches are shedding members even faster). Then there are the sex abuse scandals which emerged when ugly stories began circulating about what had really gone on in a now not-so-prestigious Berlin-based Jesuit school in the 1970s and '80s.

There is, however, another dimension to German Catholicism's present problems: a story of the follies of accommodation to whatever counts as "modern" or "contemporary" at any given moment.

Here I'm not so much thinking of the agenda of obvious figures like Hans Küng (who's increasingly an angry-old-man parody of himself). Rather, I have in mind the way much of German Catholicism decided to engage society after Vatican II.

In one sense, the Church is extremely present in everyday German life. It is after all one of Germany's biggest employers. Amply funded by a church tax levied on all Germans who identify themselves as Catholic, the Church runs thousands of educational institutions, hospitals, retirement homes, foreign aid programs, and so on.

It has, however, also become heavily bureaucratized -- something to which Benedict alludes in his interview-book Light of the World. Nor is it clear what distinguishes many German Catholic institutions from those of a more secularist bent. Moreover, by no means do all the people working in the Church's numerous agencies profess to be faithful Christians.

Some years ago, Cardinal Joachim Meisner of Cologne openly wondered why the German Church employed so many people who were at best indifferent, if not quietly hostile, to Christian belief and evangelization. For asking this commonsense question, Meisner was pilloried by the secular press and assorted celebrity-theologians.

From this standpoint, bureaucratization is symptomatic of a deeper malaise in German Catholicism. And that problem boils down to one thing: a failure on the part of many German Catholics to teach the Catholic faith because of the distance they've put between themselves and the truth-claims of that faith.

Anyone who reads German theological journals will tell you that much of Germany's Catholic theological establishment sits rather loosely towards orthodox Catholicism. Much of it seems more intent on deconstructing that faith than illuminating its principles.

It's also true that they and many other German Catholics are now essentially liberal Protestants in the way they view Christianity and the world. And liberal Protestantism is, as the legal historian Harold J. Berman (himself a mild Baptist) once wrote, merely one step away from agnosticism.

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About the Author

Samuel Gregg is Research Director at the Acton Institute. He has authored several books including On Ordered Liberty, his prize-winning The Commercial Society, and Wilhelm Röpke's Political Economy.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (26) | Leave a comment

JP| 9.12.11 @ 7:34AM

The birthrate problem in Germany goes well beyond economics. You can't have a future without children, and German females in recent years have avoided having them. German fertility rates have averaged less than 1.5 children per female (discounting Muslim women). The native German population, whether in Protestant Saxony or Catholic Bavaria is set to fall. Demographers warn that its 2050 population will be half as large as its 2010 population.

Let's face it: Germany's problem is a religious problem (or lack thereof). Why have a future when the Gubmint (or Buendeslaender, as the Germans call it) provides your present? It's not that there isn't enough Catholics; there isn't enough Protestants either. For that matter, even the Muslims have gotten into the act. After the first generation, Turkish immigrants are not going forth and multiplying either.

POST American| 9.12.11 @ 7:52AM

-Learning that the Hearst set up, confessed
Arminian heretic, Billy Graham is, IN FACT,
like Pat Robertson, Jesse Jackson and, no doubt
Robert Schuller, Joel Osteen, Al Sharpton and
Jeremiah Wright -----a 33rd degree Luciferian
Freemason -----we now must consider the case
of Pope Benedict.

Noticing we hear nothing in the way of warnings
from the Vatican on the VAST concentrations
of power in the New World Order agenda----and
even lavish 'reconsiderations' of Freemasonry
and 'benny violence' directed toward 'enlightened
ends' -along with bizarre calls for 'acceptance'
of extraterrestrials------we are begining to
think 'Benedict ARNOLD'.

The capstone does love that word play afterall.

REALLY

Doctor Right| 9.12.11 @ 8:42AM

The answers you seek can be found in a detailed analysis of the frescos in the Sistine Chapel,

The formula for world domination by the Illuminati -date, time, place, name, method-it's ALL there!

The carefully "chaos" (yeah, right) of the 20th century was a colossal sleight-of-hand; one-world governance is coming!!

PJ| 9.12.11 @ 9:33AM

Really! I thought those artists working on the Sistine Chapel were a bunch of womanizers & didn't have time to create conspiracies.

Dr Right, our beliefs regarding the Catholic Church may differ. But, I think we agree on the origins of evil especially since we both read & pray from the Bible. The 20th century is the result of evil gone wild. The only real conspiracy is that from the beginning of our existence, Satan is hell-bent to destroy mankind.

Doctor Right| 9.12.11 @ 9:49AM

I would say that evil has been hard-at-work since the world began.

The 20th century was the inevitable result of nearly 100 years of humanistic experimentation. Darwinism, socialism, Communism, etc, all spring from the same well - the idea that man is perfectible, and that other men can (and will) do it, no matter what the cost to "the people" they pretend to love.

Lucifer sought to elevate himself to God-hood, and was cast out - and he was an Angel! That example should serve as a potent warning, but century after century, the cycle is repeated.

Satan/Lucifer seeks those whom he can devour, and he is very good at his job. But what's always fascinated me is that with all his power, he can't force ANYONE to join him. He doesn't have to; he knows many will do so out of their own free will.

Alan Brooks| 9.12.11 @ 6:49PM

How do we know PostAmerican isn't the AntiChrist Himself,
trying to throw us off the track?

Alan Brooks| 9.12.11 @ 6:55PM

"Noticing we hear nothing in the way of warnings
from the Vatican on the VAST concentrations
of power in the New World Order agenda"

It's the fluoride in the water they give us. Vichy water, hmm? VICHY= COLLABORATIONIST until 1944! and only two years later fluoridation began! it is all becoming crystal clear.

PJ| 9.12.11 @ 9:13AM

It's interesting that according to the author, Jean-Marie Lustiger in France or George Pell in Australia " singlehandedly shakes a Church out of its sterile complacency and sullen defeatism."

Really! Those 2 may have roused the already tiny minority of faithful Catholics in each of his respective countries, but you're asking alot from 2 men to decrease the huge rate (not the absolute numbers) of those leaving the Church. Lustiger has been dead for a few yrs & certainly failed to stem the tide in that regard.

Asking the German hierarchy to find an appealing Church leader to make things right is asking alot from a people who are generally methodical, emotionally disciplined, & not very charismatic.

The author has implied that the German youth will help their local Church in the long run. Once they're in charge, things may change. Unfortunately the current baby boomer leaders will not leave the scene gracefully.

Petronius| 9.12.11 @ 12:29PM

The dominant religion in Germany is environmentalism and reverted to it's pagan appeal.
Once Holy Germany succumbed to Bismarck and the Junkers the Church was left playing 3rd fiddle, and save for the Regensburger Domspatzen performing during advent is heard from not at all. Catholicism is now reduced to creches in Kristkindlmarkt stalls and the singing of Stille Nacht or the polyphony of Michael Praetorius.
Europe is committing cultural suicide because it likewise has an economic death wish owing to it's hatred of commerce and competition which drives it. Nobody is allowed to make money and keep it and having children over there costs a ton leaving no disposable income for pleasure. Go figure. And as His Holiness does not understand this, He should just smile for the media, Bless the few faithful and forget it. He should have to try making a living in the European private sector these days. He wouldn't last 15 minutes.

PJ| 9.12.11 @ 1:29PM

"...His Holiness does not understand this,..."

Actually this pope has understood with what is going on in Europe longer than you've been around. Go read his books esp the ones where he is being interviewed by journalists.

Petronius| 9.12.11 @ 2:16PM

The Pope is in the statist camp on economic policy and has scolded private businesses that they should operate as support groups for their employees. Duh! A business exists to provide products and services to its customers and remuneration to its investors, not babysit its staff, as His Holiness advocates. If Europe is ever again to grow and prosper, the European Social Chapter must be scrapped and economic liberty restored. Remember the off the record admonition after the fact Earl Butts said concerning Papa Montini whining about detrimental effects of open markets; "He no play-a de game, He no make-a de rules." You can have the current state command system in which nobody is allowed to get ahead of anybody else which leads to the people giving up and refusing to reproduce, or take the shackles off and engage life knowing one must accept material inequality and risk. You can't have it both ways and neither can the Holy See.

PJ| 9.12.11 @ 5:29PM

"The Pope is in the statist camp on economic policy and has scolded private businesses that they should operate as support groups for their employees. "

I know you hate the Catholic Church & it shows in your nonsensical posting. Instead of reading biased snippets taken from various speeches by this pope, why don't you read the entire speech or his books? Base your opinions then on facts.

The pope likes free markets as long as it doesn't harm subsidiarity w/in societies & he doesn't like the extreme corporatism mentality that debases the human individual. The pope is concerned over the value of every human life & not the utilitarian view that you seem to be taking.

Did the Catholic Church always take this view? Officially yes starting with Leo XIII.

Quartermaster| 9.12.11 @ 6:15PM

PJ, it isn't a matter of hating the Catholic Church. The facts are what matter, and the facts about the Magesterium are not pretty. The Church is shot through with socialism and while "liberation theology" is not as prominent as it once was, it's Siamese twin is still around.

The facts aren't hateful, they just are.

PJ| 9.12.11 @ 7:21PM

I see another person isn't good at researching either or has a deplorable lack of curiosity.

So how does one figure out what is official Catholic teaching? Check out the Catechism or go to the Vatican website for the encyclicals & other important documents. If I was a non-Catholic that where I would go.

Are there dopey bishops who like socialism & liberation theology? You bet. They are human & they are wrong.

Official Church teaching is against any political & economic philosophies that debase the human individual, restricts the natural rights of everyone, & distorts Jesus' teachings. This includes socialism, liberation theology, & extreme corporatism.

Those who base their beliefs about an organization on a few snippets from very biased news media & does not take the time to do a little research is either very lazy or has easily found news sources that affirms their incorrect ideas.

Clint| 9.12.11 @ 7:59PM

Do Your Homework, Half-Ass.

" John Paul was ably assisted in this endeavor by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, whom the Pope appointed head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Ratzinger authored a two-part refutation of liberation theology in the 1984 Instruction on Certain Aspects of the "Theology of Liberation" and the Instruction on Christian Freedom and Liberation that came out two years later."

MikeBee| 9.12.11 @ 11:37PM

Quartermaster,
You are right that there are quite large elements in the Catholic Church which lean Leftward. More often than not, though, these people (who include some priests and bishops) develop their beliefs by moving away from official Catholic Church teaching. Essentially, these misled, but well-intentioned folks are simply intellectually lazy and impatient. They can't wait for Jesus Christ to come again, and feel that they must "save" the Poor. They forget their real calling with respect to the Poor: to stand with them, feel their pain, and bring comfort.

Liberation theology and other Left-leaning theologies often wish to replace the Truth with "being nice to the poor." Those misguided Catholics simply don't realize how much damage to the Poor they are championing, as it is the Poor who suffer most under Socialist and Communist ideals.

The Catholic Church has long fought against the Socialist ideals of Liberation Theologians and other liberal theologians. In fact, it was Pope John Paul II who joined Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher in undermining Communism where it was practiced, and in working for its downfall.

Petronius| 9.12.11 @ 9:51PM

All life on this planet is based on one thing; Competition. On the first day of 8th grade Sister Consuelo entered the classroom, took an authoritative stance behind her desk, slammed her stainless steel combat yardstick upon it and told us, "boys and girls, the world does not owe you a living!!" Most did not listen as getting a job then required little more than functional literacy and a clean criminal record. Not only has that bar been raised exponentially, but the old cohort who refused to learn and apply themselves then and the pity pimps everywhere need to be told that again in spades. The institutions of government, commerce, and or churches are not your mommy! They do not exist to take care of you! We are duty bound in true charity to those who cannot sustain life on their own due to infirmities. I will not willingly tolerate any taxation which subsidizes the character deficiencies of those who refuse to earn their own way because their expectations of compensation are well above the value of their labor. And the Church has chosen them over me. But then, the clergy today is riddled with economically illiterate Jacobins and Levelers from curate to Curia. The world is not a nursery school sandbox where the teacher makes sure all the pails are full. It's an arena. So grow up! Or I'll petition Sister to descend from the Celestial heights and and smack you with her Sacred Steel Yardstick.

MikeBee| 9.12.11 @ 12:52PM

Europe's (and America's) decline of Christianity is being offset today by the rise of Christianity in the Middle East, China, and African countries. In both areas (declining and rising), it's all about the fight between the Truth and Evil. The Truth will prevail.

Barbara| 9.12.11 @ 4:28PM

There's always a tension between solidarity and subsidiarity in Catholic social teaching. Archbishop Dolan was interviewed recently admitting that a balanced budget might be a good idea! Those chats with faithful Catholics such as Paul Ryan are having an effect.
Getting screwed over by Dems on Obamacare and gay "marriage" in NY will get your attention.
It'll probably take the crash of the euro to get anyone's attention.

Quartermaster| 9.12.11 @ 6:20PM

Roman Catholics are getting a rude awakening on government these days. The Bishops have supported socialism for years and the progressives have loved it. Now their necks are stretched across the block and the ax they gave the progressives is being drawn back. They are about to suffer the fate of all useful idiots.

Jacob R| 12.21.11 @ 12:07AM

You realize how stupid you seem when you talk about "the bishops" as if they're all mindless drones awaiting identical orders from the pope on what should constitute the entirety of their beliefs and feelings?

The societal leaders who most frequently stand up against government intrusion into private life are the bishops. I understand that there used to be a lot of progressive/liberation theology clerics, but let's talk about today.
Today the bishops and cardinals are almost all staunchly conservative. There's a difference between compassionate capitalism and statist socialism.

Clint| 9.12.11 @ 8:01PM

Do Your Homework.

What Did Your Church Do To Stop Liberation Theology, Half-Ass?

Again,
"John Paul was ably assisted in this endeavor by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, whom the Pope appointed head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Ratzinger authored a two-part refutation of liberation theology in the 1984 Instruction on Certain Aspects of the "Theology of Liberation" and the Instruction on Christian Freedom and Liberation that came out two years later."

Margie| 9.14.11 @ 2:26PM

"the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith."

That's where the Inquisition came from, isn't it?

Previously known as the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition.

History reveals reality.

POST American| 9.13.11 @ 12:15AM

---------------------FINAL WORD-----------------------

"The Catholic Church is nothing more
that the ghost of the Roman Empire resting
on the grave thereof."
-Edward Gibbon

From the Monsanto move to claim ownership
of the biosphere through GMO, to the
VAST power formations consolidating behind
the Globalist-RED China 'modelled and enforced'
new order ---to such immediate and undeniable
issues as the HAARP-esque Japan quakes on
3/11 and 4/11, or the Haiti quake on 1/11,
--or that unprecendented 2005 SE Asian
tsunami on Mao's Birthday -----SILENCE
from ROME.

Not even a broad and open call to STOP
the Fuksihima cover up and aid that poor
country as fallout is in its 7 month of spewing
across the northern hemipshere, and due
to continue for 10 months more ---and
be 'active' for another decade.

-----------------------------ROME INDEED.

Jacob R| 12.21.11 @ 12:21AM

Probably spend less time on conspiracy theory websites.
You need to read scholarly books and articles if you're going to pontificate or else people will start to view you as a nut job!

Gibbon is loved by leftists because he hated Catholicism. He couldn't exist now because it's impossible anymore to believe that Britain will last longer than Catholicism.
He thought the world would forever be remade in the image of British secularism. It's now obvious that the British won't be lords of the world.

As for Catholicsm, its adherents make up a larger proportion of humanity than at any other time in history.

Gibbon was popular because he made wild statements which counteracted traditionalist historians who dominated at the time. He was a reactionary. He's not taken seriously by most respected historians except as an example of what the modern backlash against the Church looked like during the 18th century.

He seems to desperately hope that if he makes strong enough statements against Catholicism they'll somehow come true. But he embodies British fury that Catholicsm still influences the West more than Britishness.