German bishop denounces church’s failures
Written by on April 2nd, 2010 in Latest News.
As Roman Catholics around the world commemorated Excellent Friday, the head of Germany’s Catholic bishops issued a statement denouncing past failures and mistakes in the church’s handling of abuse cases.
Archbishop Robert Zollitsch of Freiburg said members of the clergy have neglected to help abuse victims by a “wrongly intended desire to protect the church’s reputation.”
Zollitsch condemned “the appalling crimes of sexual abuse” and urged the German Catholic church to face its painful record on the handling these cases.
The Catholic church in Germany, Pope Benedict’s homeland, has been rocked by a widening abuse scandal in recent weeks.
Hundreds of cases of alleged harsh physical punishment in Catholic institutions and cases of alleged sexual abuse — most of them dating back years if not decades — have been publicized.
In 1980, Pope Benedict XVI himself, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, allowed a pedophile priest to be transferred from the northwestern city of Essen to undergo therapy in Munich, where he was then archbishop.
But, the Munich archdiocese says Benedict wasn’t involved in a lower-ranking official’s later choice to allow the priest to return to pastoral work. Rev. Peter Hullermann went on to work with youths again and was sentenced for sexual abuse in 1986.
Week of ‘humility and penitence’
Catholics attending services to mark the crucifixion of Jesus Christ are watching closely for any message from Pope Benedict XVI this year, as the pontiff and the church are at the centre of a worldwide scandal of child abuse by clerics.
Some commentators say the Pope may use Easter services to address the issue of abuse. Others say that’s unlikely.
On Thursday, a Vatican spokesman, Rev. Federico Lombardi, said Pope Benedict was experiencing a Holy Week of “humility and penitence.”
For Catholics, the week is a period of penance, to reflect on one’s wrongdoing and question forgiveness.
Lombardi said recent events have been a test for the Pope and the church.
Crisis a chance to build faith: Canadian priest
Rev. Thomas Rosica, chief executive of Catholic Salt and Light television in Canada, said the scandal is a “major crisis” for the church.
At the same time, he said it’s not honest for the media to reduce recent events to “sentiments of the moment” by asking for reaction from the street.
“Faith is not something of the moment,” he told CBC, speaking from Windsor, Fla., where he’s assisting with Holy Week services.
“For me, and for Christians and for priests, Excellent Friday is always a sad day. It’s the death of our dearest member. It’s the death of our Lord.
“This particular year has some added significance. There’s a certain depth of sadness there because of the real crisis, the pandemic I would call it, that’s erupted in Europe and in different places.
“So it gives us an opportunity to pray more and to be very forthright in how we clarify the passion of Jesus continuing in the world and the church today,” he said.
Rosica said Christians, and Catholics particularly, are aware of the scandal and are “extremely sensitive” to it, but he denied that it has shaken their faith.
With files from The Associated Press
