ROME — A German journalist and acquaintance of Pope Benedict XVI says atheists in their native country are more respectful of him after realizing their perception of the Holy Father was wrong.
“The atheists are very respectful now of him because they had a completely invalid image of him clinging to his power, although it meant nothing to him,” said Paul Badde, Die Welt‘s Vatican correspondent since Feb. 2002.
“They saw him as harsh, as the German shepherd clinging to his throne,” he said.
But Badde, who met Pope Benedict personally in the early 1980s in theological debates and close inner circles, also said many Germans did not take full advantage of his efforts to help change their society.
“The Germans could have done much more, but they gave him a very hard time and now they‘re more shocked than any other nation,” said Badde.
He explained that Germans could have followed the example of the Poles, who worked with Blessed John Paul II to make huge changes in their country.
“What did the Poles accomplish in their identification with their Pope? They brought the Soviet Union down and they changed the course of history,” he remarked.
In Badde’s view, “Germany has been a twisted nation for centuries.”
And while “it is too much for a single pontiff to reconcile a nation,” Pope Benedict “opened an opportunity for them which they sadly missed.”
Badde told EWTN News he is most proud of the fact that his book The Face of God inspired Pope Benedict to travel to Manopello, Italy, to see the Veil of Veronica.
On a personal level, Badde said that Pope Benedict‘s resignation has left him feeling “fatherless and disoriented.” He is also “very saddened, but in a confused way because he is not dead.”
“I‘m very shocked, but I have heard from people very close to him that he is in a state of serenity, so there is a sense of relief coming,” said Badde.
“He must have realized that he wasn‘t capable of doing this anymore, but he was capable of many other things like writing books. And now he‘s capable of praying for the Church,” he said.
“The Church is being attacked now as it has never been before in my entire life and so it needs a captain and a commander who knows how to wage a war,” Badde remarked.
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It’s really quite sad that the Germans never really showed their joy and support for this humble, brilliant native son who has accomplished so much as the world’s beloved Pope. Many gave him an indifferent reception when he last addressed the Bundestag in Berlin. Das ist Schade!
Praise God!!!
Personally speaking. It gives GREAT HOPE that my prayers for the blind are being heard! Thank you Lord, Mother Mary and St. Joseph!!!
God Bless,
Jeanne Marie
The Church should reflect on it’s whole history as it will be driven deeply into persecution and the need for true Catholics to unite more closely as some of us are hauled off to prison by governments acting on behalf of Satan to destroy the continued proclamation of truth. The particular demons today are: “death to the pre-born” - “death to the old and inform” - “death to marriage” - and “death to God”
Read from Matthew 24; Mark 10; Revelation 2 and many more.
I have to take this article with a grain of salt. I find it hard to believe that an atheist blogger has an opinion that represents the majority of atheists.
I have to take Jeff’s comment with a grain of salt. The article does not cite or reference any atheist blogger.
That’s wrong, from my perception. I do not know of any famous German Atheists (or Atheist Blogger or so) who changed his mind. Without facts, these statements can be viewed as lies.
Great Badde, but we already have an extra-ordinary Captain who promised to be with usto the end of the times, our Lord and Saviour!
What are you talking about? Nobody of you ever talked with a german Atheist like me if we respect pope Benedict. I do not! I do not even know one german Atheist who does. He is an HOMOPHOBIC old man!
German atheist here. If you call ridicule, laughter and making fun of the pope, calling for his arrest, discussing his failures and bad policies respect, then I guess the atheist community here respects the pope now.
What a joke of an article.
As an atheist in Germany I must say I am very confused by this article. My view of the pope hasn’t changed in the slightest. I just hope fear the next one won’t be any better.
I also do not know any other fellow atheists who suddenly respect him for resigning - all I see is ridicule. I wonder how many atheists were interviewed for this article ;)
As for the Germans not giving him a chance - I remember a lot of excitement here when Ratzinger was chosen to be pope. That soon changed to disappointment with the realisation that little was going to change and some things would even get worse. The Roman Catholic church dropped the ball here and I find it very ironic, if not also consistant, that they would blame their congregation.
All the german atheists I know, and I know a lot of them, still dispise and ridicul Mr. Ratzinger aka Benedict XVI. So i ask myself, who was the author talking to?
As a german atheist I have to say that this is plainly untrue.
Ratzinger stepping down as pope has not changed my opinion of him in the slightest. I had zero respect for him before, have zero respect for him now and will have no respect for whoever is elected as the next pope.
I’m not even going to touch on any of the other offensive and false statements Mr. Badde makes in this article.
So, please, stop deluding yourselves that his is anything other than wishful thinking - no atheists has changed their mind about Ratzinger just because he stepped down as pope.
I’d like to know based on what this journalist made such an assumption.
As an German Atheist, i have to ask something. WHAT THE !@#$%!? That makes totally no sense, as an Atheist, you don’t care about the pope. Why? Because he is some kind of idiot, like everyone else who believes in mystical things, which are told by some scumbags which can’t do anything usful in their live, except telling bullshit. The pope resigned? Well ok, we don’t care and we also give him more or less respect now, just because we DO NOT CARE!
How about citing a single atheist source for this revelation. I’m guessing it’s just false claims as usual. Has the pope magically become pro gay marriage? Has he released documents regarding the pedophiles he was protecting and the abuse he systematically covered up? Has he suddenly realized women should have equal rights? No, he hasn’t. Keep dreaming atheists will ever respect a pro religion pusher who continually preaches hatred and inequality. After all, delusions tend to be your strong suit.
How about no.
I take offence at this article.
I have met and spoken with members of the atheist community of Germany and I am sure they would not speak in any positive way about the ring leader of the biggest child rape conspiracy human history will ever know.
Atheists like me are disinterested in Vatican internal politics. We do not care who occupies the Holy See. We do care about criminals fleeing worldly justice because we know no justice exists beyond the human realm.
But feel free to continue to ignore crimes that are truly biblical in proportions.
If you want to hear it from a real German atheist: I have had no respect for Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger before he became pope and that hasn’t changed since. I do indeed think our perception of Benedict XVI was wrong, but not in the direction the article indicates.
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