Pope divides the Germans

Whereas the Polish Pope John Paul II was hailed in his home country as the world's greatest Pole, opinion is divided about the German Pope Benedict XVI in his home country, the conservative daily Lidové noviny writes: "That's not only because of the great variety of religions and opinions in Germany, but has far more to do with the fact that after the crimes committed by their nation 70 years ago, many Germans now feel they must come across as do-gooders all the time wherever they are. Is Benedict such a do-gooder? Definitely not, according to those who denounce him for not having apologised for the Christianisation of the American Indians, or who criticise his stand on homosexuality and Aids prevention. There's a sort of clash of cultures between the Pope's detractors and supporters in Germany, a settling of accounts with a man who even in his days as a German intellectual enraged his adversaries."

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