Trouble in Italy for Benedict XVI

This poster was recently spotted in Genoa. The caption reads "Thank God I'm an Atheist" and the target(s) are the Pope and a bunch of Muslims.

The observer in Rome (a Twin Cities-area native) gives us some insight:

In Italy, Pope Benedict is making a huge splash. Since he was elected, the left-wing has gone nearly insane with confusion and rage. The main-stream press is waging a bitter campaign against him and the Church. The problem is that he is hugely popular especially among young people who are beginning to ask questions of their teachers and others about things they are not supposed to question (the left-wing agenda). Since the education system in Italy has been run by Communists for decades, this question asking trend is a very bad development. And… it is the Pope’s fault! If John Paul captured the imagination of young people and drew them in, they are now listening to Benedict with rapt attention. He is the only great public figure saying anything new or that makes sense. While the secularists are all shrieking about "thinking outside the box", the Pope is the only one really doing it.

We tend to pay attention to US affairs, naturally. But the West is larger than just the USA...