A Tale of Two Bavarians

“Bavaria and the whole of Germany are celebrating Ratzinger’s election. I am certain that the new pope will be able to win over and rally all the world’s Catholics, not only because he is the most brilliant theologian of all time, but also because of his human and pastoral qualities.” These were the words of Bavarian Premier Edmund Stoiber, leader of the Christian Social Union party in Germany.

When Ratzinger was elected the new pope, a multitude of world leaders made similar expressions of support. What’s interesting in this case is that both Stoiber and Ratzinger are men the Trumpet has watched for several years now. We said both would likely take the lead of their respective governments. That has already happened for one of them.

To whatever extent the Bavarian premier and the new Bavarian pope share a friendship, we know that they share similar views on many issues—religious and political. Both are from the most Catholicized part of Germany—the region that bred European influentials like Otto von Habsburg and Adolf Hitler.

In 2002, as Germany geared up for national elections, our editor in chief said of Stoiber, “He could change Europe and the world more than any man in the 21st century” (May 2002).

Now that a Bavarian pope reigns in the Vatican, we must wonder how Europe would change were a Bavarian premier to take the German chancellorship—or, more significantly, a position at the top of the European Union.

We have been looking for a strong church-state connection to take hold in Europe, steered by the Vatican and Germany. Would it not be natural for these two powerful men—both from the same religiously charged region in Germany—to make this happen?

With the Bavarian Benedict able “to win over and rally all the world’s Catholics” and a rising political twin who will likely lead Germany and even Europe, it appears Europe’s future as a resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire is coming very close to fruition.