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 expressed their support in the same spirit of support.

What’s interesting is that both Stoiber and Ratzinger are men the Trumpet has been watching for several years now. We said both would likely take the lead of their respective governments. That has 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 wrote of Stoiber, “He could change Europe and the world more than any man in the 21st century.”

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 shape in Europe, steered by the Vatican and Germany. Considering the backgrounds and philosophies of these two men—not to mention their similar grand visions for Europe—Stoiber and Ratzinger could be the ones 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, the Continent’s fate in becoming another resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire appears close to being realized.