The same German journal that sought to pour cold water on Pope Benedict’s highly successful visit to Germany last September has begun a campaign to denigrate his current performance amid the Vatileaks scandal.

Spiegel claimed that “The mood at the Vatican is apocalyptic. Pope Benedictxvi seems tired, and both unable and unwilling to seize the reins amid fierce infighting and scandal. While Vatican insiders jockey for power and speculate on his successor, Joseph Ratzinger has withdrawn to focus on his still-ambiguous legacy” (June 15).

Really?

That report does not gel with the reality of the achievements of this extraordinary pope.

So what’s the truth behind Speigel’s claims?

Well, you have to dig behind the misleading headline and the selectively chosen words in the text of the article to really find out.

Firstly, one of the prime authors of the story is political activist and leftist Spiegel journalist Peter Wensierski. No friend of the pope or of the Vatican, Wensierski has sensationalized stories out of Rome for much of his journalistic career.

Another factor that does not lend credence to Spiegel’s story is that its main thrust is established from a single source—a disgruntled, anonymous cleric. “The pope isn’t interested in daily affairs at the Vatican, says the anonymous monsignor” (ibid). So that’s the view of one anonymous, obviously junior cleric on the leadership of a pope that he may never have personally met, let alone have worked in close association with. It’s pure gossip. It’s hardly good journalism.

We ought to be constantly cautioned to resist reacting to headline sensationalism. The reality is that the secularist, anti-church, left-wing Spiegel is seeking to boost its sales by creating a controversial story where the evidence indicates there really is no story, at least of a magnitude that it portrays.

Speigel’s real bone of contention is the pope’s moralist stand against homosexuality and feminism (aka the ordination of women priests) on the one hand, and his strong public stand maintaining that monogamous marriage provides the only fertile ground for balanced child rearing.

During an interview with the Italian magazine Famiglia Cristiana,Cardinal Bertone, Vatican secretary of state, declared, “There is a relentless and repeated attempt to separate and create rifts between the holy father and his collaborators. As well as between collaborators themselves.” According to the secretary of state, “many journalists play at an imitation of Dan Brown [The Da Vinci Code author], inventing fables and legends.”

Contrary to Spiegel’s claims, Pope Benedict has been highly active throughout his pontificate and even more active of late than his predecessor, John Paul ii, at similar age. His world travels alone since taking office bear this out.

Between 2006 and 2009, Benedict equaled John Paul ii’s travel record at similar age, visiting on average three foreign countries per year. However, since 2009, Benedict has picked up the pace, with an average of five international visits per year during 2010 and 2011. He is the oldest pope to have traveled out of Rome to the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia, North America, Mexico, South America and Cuba.

In his home country, Benedict’s recent visit to Milan was rated by objective observers as outstandingly successful, this despite the efforts of the left-wing press in Italy seeking to denigrate his papacy.

Only yesterday, Benedict flew by helicopter to the earthquake-devastated region of Emilia Romagna to lend succor to its traumatized residents. The account of this whirlwind visit issued by the Vatican Information Service hardly indicates a tired and worn-out pope in the image of Spiegel’s fiction (June 26):

The pope’s helicopter landed at 10:30 a.m. at the sports ground of San Marino di Carpi …. The pontiff then boarded a minibus to travel to Rovereto di Novi where he made a brief visit to the church of St. Catherine of Alexandria which partially collapsed during the earthquake killing the pastor Fr. Ivan Martini. Subsequently the holy father boarded a Jeep from which he greeted the faithful while being driven to the central square of Rovereto di Novi where, in the presence of the archbishops and bishops of the affected areas (Bologna, Carpi, Modena, Mantua, Ferrara and Reggio Emilia), he delivered his address. …Having completed his address, the holy father greeted the civil and religious authorities present. He then returned to the sports ground of San Marino di Carpi where his helicopter took off at midday, arriving in Rome shortly after 1:30 p.m.

As to his daily work output, Benedict continues to churn out discourses to the faithful in print, via video and radio, with his weekly homilies delivered in person from the balcony at St Peter’s. No pope in all of history has produced more instruction to the Catholic Church’s adherents than this pope.

On top of this, Benedict is, in his very own quietly diplomatic yet very assertive way, dealing with the wayward clergy who have caused so much division in the church since Vatican ii.

It is Ratzinger’s stoic continuance on the theme of regenerating a conservative papacy that deeply disturbs the liberal elements within the church and most particularly within the left-wing media. This has been his specific focus since operating as his predecessor John Paul ii’s “enforcer” in the drive to mitigate the liberalism that has impacted the church since the 1960s. It was not for nothing that in his years heading up the Office for the Doctrine of the Faith (old Office of the Holy Inquisition) as Cardinal Ratzinger was he dubbed the Vatican Rottweiler!

The combined efforts of the homosexual lobby, the feminists and leftist political movements, finding an anti-pope voice in the left-wing media, are at the heart of the current media-driven effort to convince the public that Pope Benedict is not fit to remain in his job.

The problem is that those who mount such campaigns are grossly ignorant of the power of conservative Catholic elites, and most patently blinded to Bible prophecy relating to the Roman Catholic Church.

Akin to Spiegel’s failed efforts to spoil the pope’s visit to Germany, its efforts and those of other leftist media to denigrate this pope are destined to fail.

In the tradition of Herbert Armstrong, we are not in the habit of condemning other religions. We are, however, avid about seeking out the truth.

As Herbert Armstrong, keenly attuned to Bible prophecy for our day, stated: “The world has its religions. I do not go to them with another or competing ‘religion.’ But with new revealed truth from God and Creator of … all people! And they are listening! And interested!” (member and co-worker letter, Sept. 24, 1973).

Bible prophecy declares that there will be a powerful religion, sourced at ancient Babylon, prevalent today. It will produce a powerful leader who will provide the spiritual glue to bind a fractious union of European nations together for one final, devastating resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire.

Articles such as the one produced by Spiegel, referred to above, are but red herrings designed to deceive genuine seekers after truth who correctly look to Rome to produce this powerful spiritual leader.

Don’t be fooled.

The old rottweiler, Ratzinger, is as sharp and on course as ever. We are on the countdown to the official launch of his great crusade of “new evangelism,” set to take place this northern fall.

Keep watching Europe. Keep watching Rome. And above all, keep a close eye on the ever active Pope Benedict xvi!