German bishop resigns, cites responsibility in abuse scandal
Berlin, Germany AP Pope Francis on Saturday accepted a resignation request from a German bishop who asked to step down because of his mistakes in handling sexual abuse cases. Franz-Josef Bode, who has been the Bishop of Osnabrueck, Germany, since 1995, said in a personal statement that his decision to resign “has matured in me in […]
Benedict leaves German homeland with complicated legacy
Berlin, Germany AP Pope Benedict XVI leaves his homeland with a complicated legacy: pride in a German pontiff but a church deeply divided over the need for reforms in the wake of a sexual abuse scandal in which his own actions of decades ago were faulted. Benedict has long drawn mixed reviews in Germany, a […]
Vatican urges German Catholic Church to put brakes on reform
Rome, ItalyAP Top Vatican cardinals tried to put the brakes on the German Catholic Church’s controversial reform process on Friday, fearing proposals concerning gays, women and sexual morals will split the church and insisting they would be better debated later. The Vatican and the German bishops conference issued a joint statement after a week of […]
Cardinal calls for Vatican reprimand over sexuality remarks
Rome, ItalyAP Cardinal George Pell has called for the Vatican’s doctrine office to intervene and reprimand two leading European Catholic churchmen who called for changes in Catholic teaching on sexuality and homosexuality. Pell, who was convicted and then acquitted of sex abuse charges in his native Australia, said he understood the secular pressures in Germany […]
German cleric defends Pope’s decision to keep Archbishop
Berlin, GermanyAP The head of the German Bishops’ Conference on Monday defended the Pope’s decision to allow the Archbishop of Hamburg to stay on at this post, despite being faulted for his handling of sexual abuse allegations. Limburg Bishop Georg Baetzing said that he understands how people feel about the decision, but that Pope Francis […]