Media reports spiritual revival in Germany triggered by Benedict XVI

Berlin, Germany, Apr 18, 2006 / 22:00 pm

The German newspaper Handelsblatt is reporting that Pope Benedict XVI has triggered a spiritual revival in his native country, which he will visit for the second time in September.
 
In a special edition for the first anniversary of Pope Benedict XVI’s pontificate, the German daily noted that in visiting his native country twice in such a short period of time, the Pontiff has set off a spiritual awakening among many Germans.
 
The article in Handelsblatt points out that the September trip is “not an official visit, but rather a visit to the roots of his life.”  While there exists among Germans a general euphoria about having the Pope so close, the article adds that “there is another perspective that many previously thought impossible and that must be pointed out: this 79 year-old wise man could spark in this moment a revival in the Church in Germany.”
 
The newspaper also points out the impact that Pope Benedict XVI’s visit for World Youth Day had on young people in Germany “in speaking to them about frustration, dissatisfaction and love in a way perhaps unlike any other pastor of the Catholic Church in Germany before.”

“He awoke in young people especially, who see in the person of the Pope a true father and pastor, a true wave of optimism,” the article states.