While I respect the Pope and don't wish to offend any Catholic, I still think it's of utmost importance that each and everyone here realizes that what the Pope says in this area Catholics and Catholics ALONE have to comply with.
Personally, I was baptized by the biggest Lutheran Church in the world, The Church of Sweden, a 'State Church' till the year of 2000. This alliance of church and state might not be very well known by Christians today, but at least it achieved two things:
1. Thanks to the overwhelming power of its superior war machine (German cities fell like domino pieces) during The Thirty Years' War 1618-1648, it eradicated Catholicism once and for all from large parts of Northern Europe (predominantly from areas today belonging to Germany) and secured the future of Protestantism.
2. Some years ago, it declared its belief to be that hell does NOT exist, which means members of this church don't have to worry about this issue.
About The Thirty Years' War:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/30_years_war
Yes, the Vikings were impressive, but Gustavus Adolphus is perhaps the best warrior Scandinavia has ever produced:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustavus_Adolphus
Nice (although a bit old) clip featuring what Swedish, Protestant warriors look like today:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=dkeQ1sNUOKE
Any army can make a PR video like this, but it's only soldiers like these that have made it impossible for other nations to entirely beat us in a war (we've lost battles, but Sweden has never been completely crushed like Germany, France, Poland, Italy, The Roman Empire etc and Sweden has never been occupied or even properly invaded by another country).
Since almost 200 years, we Swedes are spared from war and other kinds of hell. We've suffered enough throughout history in order to keep our tiny little Thule paradise to ourselves!
Again, No offense!
Sweden has never been completely crushed like Germany, France, Poland, Italy, The Roman Empire etc and Sweden has never been occupied or even properly invaded by another country Not to hijack this thread, but is this how the history of Sweden's shameful collusion with Nazi Germany now being rewritten? Has Sweden's deplorable collaboration while her neighbors bravely fought against Nazi and Soviet aggression now seen as some kind perverted victory? The French at least declared war and fought in defense of Poland and their own country before capitulating. No offense, but the only thing Sweden accomplished militarily in the last century was to spread her legs for any potential invader and arrange for the rape of her neighbors. To claim some sort of pride in Sweden's cowardly collaboration is simply perverse. If this is how Sweden is publishing her history books, it will be no great loss when they are soon rewritten in Arabic.
But again as you put it, no offense!