“I’m happy that providence wanted my first trip abroad to take me to Germany,” said the pope prior to visiting Cologne. Benedict xvi—the first German pope in over 500 years—celebrated World Youth Day, culminating in a mass to over a million people August 21.

Throughout his four-day visit Benedict also met with Jewish and Muslim leaders, and even major German politicians in the run-up to national elections scheduled for next month.

His trip was meant to serve two apparent purposes, according to church officials. One was to shore up Vatican relations with the Muslim and Jewish communities. The second was to revive Roman Catholicism on the Continent. As the pope said on a radio interview prior to his visit, he hoped to spur “a wave of new faith among young people, especially the youth in Germany and Europe”—to arouse Europeans from “great fatigue” spiritually (Deutsche Welle,August 15).

Those are simply two contradictory missions. Spurring Europe to embrace its Christian roots has historically never worked to increase Europe’s relationship with its Jews, Muslims or Orthodox adherents—two world wars, centuries-long crusades and four inquisitions attest to this fact.

Yes, the pope warned about and even condemned anti-Semitism—to an audience of Jews within a synagogue.

Yes, he encouraged greater understanding between his followers and Islam—while speaking to Muslim leaders. (Even then, he effectively blamed their religion for poisoning interfaith ties with its terrorist tactics.)

Clearly, however, Benedict’s biggest aim as pope is to revitalize Europe’s Christian fervor.

On his trip, the pope lamented the “dramatic” shortage of new recruits to the clergy in Germany and that the “influence of Catholic ethics and morals were in a constant decline” in his homeland (ibid., August 21). During his mass, he urged the youth to keep God the center of their lives.

The pope also reiterated the importance of Sunday worship: “Sunday is a free day …. Yet this free time is empty if God is not present. Sometimes our initial impression is that having to include time for Mass on a Sunday is rather inconvenient. But if you make the effort, you will realize that this is what gives a proper focus to your free time” (International Herald Tribune,August 22). Jews and Muslims in Europe might not have too much of a problem with that—unless he, like some popes before him, started to demand the same of them.

Religious fervor and religious tolerance do not grow together. If history is any indication, the more successful the pope is in realizing his goal to revitalize Roman Catholicism within Europe, the more hostile the Continent will grow toward other religions.

A clash is coming between the great religions of this world—as fervor for Islam and Christianity continue to rise. The main battle Pope Benedict faces right now is not between religions, but between Europe’s religious and its godless. Once he wins that war, history tells us what comes next.

For more, see our June 2005 special issue and request our free booklet Germany and the Holy Roman Empire.