Abuja, Nigeria, Aug 9, 2004 / 12:00 am (CNA).- Speaking with the Polish Catholic news agency KAI, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger said that the “new springtime” of the Church is a reality, but that it will not “necessarily” be significant in terms of numbers.

The Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith told KAI that there are groups of the new generations in the Church today which represent “a new springtime of the Church that renews the world.”  The Cardinal explained that “we should not think that in the near future Christianity will become a movement of the masses again, going back to a situation like Medieval times.”

“At least we cannot expect that in the current conditions,” he added.

Nevertheless, recalling a phrase used by Lenin of Communist Russia, Ratzinger said that “the powerful minorities, which have something to say and something to bring to society, will determine the future.”

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