Germany is among the least religious countries in Europe...

Germany is among the least religious countries in Europe today, but his election is a great source of national pride -- the fact that he was elected to this post is more significant than the fact that he is Catholic. The truth is that the man has been living in Rome for 25 years, so he's much more of a cosmopolitan clergyman than he is a German, but he's going to be appropriated as a German, and one who stands for a universal set of values.