HAMBURG: Germans like the Dalai Lama more than they do their native-born Pope Benedict XV.

A study, carried out for the magazine Der Spiegel, was published
this weekend and showed that 44% of those questioned saw the Tibetan
spiritual leader as a role model, while only 42% attributed the same
qualities to the pope.

The Dalai Lama enjoyed a particularly high popularity rating among the young and better educated, according to the survey.

The Tibetan leader, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in
1989 for his efforts to achieve a non-violent solution to the Tibetan
problem, is due to pay a 10-day visit to Germany from Thursday. He will
deliver lectures and attend a congress of Buddhist monks and nuns.

Wow! Germany’s one of the most “Catholic” states in Europe, and the Pope’s German.