As late as the mid-20th Century, a marriage between an American Protestant and an American Catholic was considered inter-religious.<\/p>\n
But the dynamic began to shift in the 1980s with the emergence of the Religious Right. Though the movement was spearheaded by evangelical leaders, they opened their arms to Catholics and even Mormons, who were seen as valuable allies in the fight against our nation\u2019s \u201cmoral decline.\u201d\u009d Animosity between the groups began giving way to cooperation. The election of Pope Francis may be the next step in bridging the divide between Catholics and Protestants. He has been called \u201ca Pope for all Christians,\u201d\u009d but could the growing popularity among non-Catholics make him \u201cthe first Protestant Pope?\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
Francis has already met with Nikolaus Schneider, the head of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany. Dr. Schneider, who is ironically a Lutheran minister, said that Pope Benedict \u201coffended\u201d\u009d Protestants when he insisted in 2000 that Protestant communities were not \u201cchurches in the proper sense,\u201d\u009d but he is hopeful for future Christian unity as a result of his meeting with Francis. This newfound common ground between the two groups, it seems, stems largely from the current Pope\u2019s concern for the poor and marginalized….<\/p>\n