But, the year 2005 showed a sea change in the relationship of society and Church. That’s at least how the dignitaries of institutional Christianity viewed it. But, even theological analysts and longstanding critics of the big churches noticed this increasing favor for the big churches with astonishment in this rapidly secularizing society.
The motor of this comeback, if it happened, was the Catholic Church. In 2005, the year of the change of Popes and World Youth Day in Cologne centuries-old abilities of Catholicism coincided with new styles of expression fo the media and event society. In contrast to the liturgically, spiritually and ritualistically rather stuffy Protestantism, Catholicism has always been a religion of senses, theater and demonstrative stagings. With the Pope as its head it could and can personalize its message worldwide.
He also gives us another article, also from Der Spiegel, on yesterday:
At 5:28pm the people in the square start to shriek – Benedict XVI. arrives in his Papamobil. As he exits, fanfares sound. Joseph Ratzinger smiles and waves and smiles and waves. He doesn’t speak, only looks. In the center of the square is the Mariensaeule (Mary’s column). A podium has been attached to it. The Pope walks around the column, waving, looking alternatingly at the cheering people, the houses and at the column. His eyes are glistening.
Everyone is moved, but the emotions will be fired up even more. At the end Benedict XVI. doesn’t just sing along with the sacred songs, he also sings the Bavarian anthem with gusto: "God with you, o Land of the Bavarians."
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