Benedict XVI
(Archive image): Heavy criticism of the emeritus pope
Photo: VINCENZO PINTO/ AFP
After the emeritus Pope Benedict XVI.
has admitted a false statement for the report on sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, there is massive criticism of his statement.
The spokesman for the victims' initiative "Eckiger Tisch", Matthias Katsch, has expressed disappointment.
Benedikt - real name Joseph Ratzinger - only apologized for having given false information about his participation in a meeting in 1980.
"He should actually apologize for the whole process, because he is partly responsible for the fact that this priest was able to endanger children in the diocese for decades," Katsch told the dpa news agency on Monday.
"That's the real scandal."
Benedict speaks of "mistakes"
It is a pattern in the Catholic Church to only admit what can no longer be disputed, said Katsch.
"It really helps make you feel like you can't believe them." It would be far better to have the size, admit the mistake, and apologize for it.
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.
had admitted that, contrary to what was initially stated, he had taken part in a meeting in January 1980 as archbishop of Munich and Freising where priest Peter H. was discussed.
This had previously become apparent several times because of the sexual abuse of children.
At the request of the diocese of Essen, the archdiocese of Munich and Freising took over the priest, who was undergoing therapy there.
He was quickly reinstated in pastoral care in Munich and again abused children.
When asked by the experts, Benedikt denied having attended that meeting in January 1980.
Now he spoke of an "error" and an "oversight in the editorial processing" of his opinion for the experts.
Criticism of the lack of an admission of guilt
The canon lawyer Thomas Schüller accused Benedict of continuing to tell untruths. The Pope Emeritus admitted to having attended a crucial meeting in Munich in 1980. However, he continues to deny, untruthfully, that he knew anything about H's history. "This is again an untruth, as the report presented last week by Westpfahl Spilker Wastl was able to prove," Schüller told the dpa. »Joseph Ratzinger is becoming more and more entangled in his fabrications of lies and will no longer be able to remedy the irreparable personal damage to himself and his life's work even with the detailed statement that has been announced. In doing so, he is permanently damaging the papal office and with it the Catholic Church.«
The Catholic reform movement »We are Church« described the statement as »embarrassing«.
"What is still missing is his personal admission of guilt," said spokesman Christian Weisner.
Wrong decisions in the case of this priest "had great suffering to many of those affected.
He could have prevented that.
He has to face up to this overall responsibility,” said Weisner.
»It is extremely embarrassing and unbelievable that Joseph Ratzinger has to correct his first statement on the Munich report in such a decisive and easily verifiable point«.
Wolfgang Beinert: »All people are sinners, popes too«
The theologian and longtime companion of Benedict, Wolfgang Beinert, calls for a public apology for victims of sexual abuse. "This is absolutely necessary," said the emeritus professor of theology in the "Augsburger Allgemeine". "So all that's left for him to say is: Yes, I made a mistake and I regret it bitterly," he said. »Then he would have to set a sign – if he can still do that.«
"Even popes are not immune to lies," said Beinert, a student of Ratzinger. “All men are sinners, including popes. And even popes are people who grasp at straws when they are in need,” he said. "It shook me," said the 88-year-old about statements by Ratzinger that one of the accused priests had acted as a private individual. »I don't think Ratzinger has grasped the dimensions of what happened at all.«
Benedict led the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising from 1977 to 1982.
The report commissioned by the Archdiocese itself and published last week comes to the conclusion that cases of sexual abuse in the diocese have not been dealt with appropriately for decades.
Benedict is accused of four counts of wrongdoing, including the admission of priest Peter H.
bbr/dpa
