The head of the German Bishops' Conference, Robert Zollitsch, met with the pope in the Vatican to inform him of the abuse scandal plaguing the Catholic church in Germany. "I want to repeat here in Rome the apology that I made two weeks ago," Archbishop Robert Zollitsch of Freiburg said at a news conference following the meeting. The pope has not commented himself on the allegation of both sexual and physical abuse that are to have taken place at Catholic schools across Germany in the 1970s and 1980s. The church has come under heavy criticism after an elite Jesuit school in Berlin admitted to the systematic sexual abuse of its pupils by two Roman Catholic priests. More alleged victims have since come forward, including a former member of the prestigious all-boys choir in Regensburg led from 1964-1994 by the pope's brother, Georg Ratzinger.
"I want to repeat here in Rome the apology that I made two weeks ago," Archbishop Robert Zollitsch of Freiburg said at a news conference following the meeting.
The pope has not commented himself on the allegation of both sexual and physical abuse that are to have taken place at Catholic schools across Germany in the 1970s and 1980s.
The church has come under heavy criticism after an elite Jesuit school in Berlin admitted to the systematic sexual abuse of its pupils by two Roman Catholic priests. More alleged victims have since come forward, including a former member of the prestigious all-boys choir in Regensburg led from 1964-1994 by the pope's brother, Georg Ratzinger.
Why don't they just knock it off with the celibacy requirement and join the 17th Century?
Pope's diocese accused of housing abusive priest | Europe | Deutsche Welle | 12.03.2010
As an archbishop in Germany in the 1980s, current Pope Benedict XVI accepted a known paedophile priest into his diocese. The priest later sexually abused minors again. Pope Benedict XVI, in his position as bishop of Munich and Freising, approved the re-housing of a priest accused of child sex abuse in his diocese in 1980, it was revealed Friday. "It was decided in 1980 to give H. [the priest] accommodation in a rectory so that he could receive therapy. The archbishop took part in this decision," the diocese of Munich and Freising said in a statement. The diocese confirmed that the priest in question was in Munich to undergo therapy after sexually abusing young boys. According to the German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung, he was accused of forcing an 11-year old boy to perform oral sex. Known paedophile allowed to work with children The priest was later returned to pastoral work. Archbishop Josef Ratzinger - now Pope Benedict - was unaware of the move at the time, according to his former diocese.
Pope Benedict XVI, in his position as bishop of Munich and Freising, approved the re-housing of a priest accused of child sex abuse in his diocese in 1980, it was revealed Friday.
"It was decided in 1980 to give H. [the priest] accommodation in a rectory so that he could receive therapy. The archbishop took part in this decision," the diocese of Munich and Freising said in a statement.
The diocese confirmed that the priest in question was in Munich to undergo therapy after sexually abusing young boys. According to the German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung, he was accused of forcing an 11-year old boy to perform oral sex.
Known paedophile allowed to work with children
The priest was later returned to pastoral work. Archbishop Josef Ratzinger - now Pope Benedict - was unaware of the move at the time, according to his former diocese.
