The Faith Wars Commence

It didn’t take long; the orthodoxy of the new pope is already a source of discord. As head of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith Cardianl Ratzinger affirmed the superiority of the Roman Catholic Church. Other Christian churches not really Churches in a proper sense

On
the other hand, the ecclesial communities which have not preserved the valid
Episcopate and the genuine and integral substance of the Eucharistic mystery,⁶¹
are not Churches in the proper sense; however, those who are baptized in these
communities are, by Baptism, incorporated in Christ and thus are in a certain
communion, albeit imperfect, with the Church.⁶² Baptism in fact tends
per se toward the full development of life in Christ, through the integral
profession of faith, the Eucharist, and full communion in the Church.⁶³ 

“The
Christian faithful are therefore not permitted to imagine that the Church of
Christ is nothing more than a collection — divided, yet in some way one — of
Churches and ecclesial communities; nor are they free to hold that today the
Church of Christ nowhere really exists, and must be considered only as a goal
which all Churches and ecclesial communities must strive to reach”.⁶⁴
In fact, “the elements of this already-given Church exist, joined together in
their fullness in the Catholic Church and, without this fullness, in the other
communities”.⁶⁵ “Therefore, these separated Churches and
communities as such, though we believe they suffer from defects, have by no
means been deprived of significance and importance in the mystery of salvation.
For the spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them as means of salvation
which derive their efficacy from the very fullness of grace and truth entrusted
to the Catholic Church”.

The remarkable document of Ratzinger goes on to discuss the "defects" of other religions, and how they present an "obstacle" to salvation. 

Now these views have gotten  CDU candidate Jürgen Rüttgers into hot water in the hotly contested NRW state elections.  In an interview with Der Spiegel  Rüttgers is confronted with Ratzinger’s doctine of Catholic superiority:

Friedman:
"Zum gleichberechtigten Respekt aller Kirchen sagt Benedikt XVI: ‘Die
katholische Kirche ist allen anderen Kirchen überlegen.’ Hat er Recht?"

Rüttgers: "Er sagt, dass das, was er glaubt und das, was seine Kirche glaubt, das Richtige ist. Und ich finde, das darf er auch."

Friedman: "Ich sage noch einmal: Die katholische Kirche sei allen anderen Kirchen überlegen."

Rüttgers: "Ich hab’ das schon verstanden. Er sagt, das ist das
Richtige, und wenn’s das Richtige ist, dann muss er zwangsläufig sagen,
dass das andere nicht richtig ist."

These views most certainly will not go over well with Protestant – not to mention Muslim and Jewish – voters.  More later on the "Christianity" of the CDU/CSU.

In the US the doctrine of Catholic superiority is not going over well with evangelical Christians.  Labert Mohler, a board member for Focus on the Family – closely aligned with the Rapublican Party – has lashed out against the Catholic Church

"I believe that the Roman church is a false
church and it teaches a false gospel," Mohler said at the time. "And
indeed, I believe that the pope himself holds a false and unbiblical
office."

So the euphoria over a reactionary pope and the resulting alliance between Catholics and right-wing evangelical Christians was short-lived.  Matthew Yglesias has more thoughts on the inherent contradictions of the Republicans wanting to become the "party of faith".