John Allen reports on the pope’s visit to Switzerland, the Bush-Pope meeting, and some other matters.

Switzerland is a microcosm of the “ecclesiastical winter” besetting much of Europe. The country has a rich Catholic past, centered especially on famous monastic foundations such as the Abbey of St. Gall and Einsiedeln. Despite the impact of the Protestant Reformation, officially speaking, some 44 percent of the 7.7 million Swiss remain Catholic.

Yet rates of church attendance hover around 16 percent, and they fall off more in urban areas. Anti-clerical prejudices run deep, and under the impact of secularization, there is a widespread indifference to institutional religion. Vocations to the priesthood are scarce, and the Catholic church has virtually no influence on public life.