Germany

Germany: Theology professors blast Vatican gay union stance
- Mar 23, 2021
More than 230 professors of Catholic theology in Germany and other countries where German is spoken have signed a statement protesting the Vatican’s recent pronouncement that priests cannot bless same-sex unions, adding to dissent over the document.

By Associated Press
Each Catholic culture brews a controversy made to order
- Mar 21, 2021
Catholic experience is a constant interplay between the universal and the local, a few basic constants refracted and lived out in a myriad of different milieu.

By John L. Allen Jr.
German archbishop offers to resign after abuse criticism
- Mar 18, 2021
A report commissioned by Germany’s Cologne archdiocese on church officials’ handling of past cases of sexual abuse found 75 cases in which high-ranking officials neglected their duties. The findings on Thursday prompted the archbishop of Hamburg to offer his resignation to Pope Francis.

By Kirsten Grieshaber and Daniel Niemann

Report on Catholic church abuse to be released in Germany
- Mar 18, 2021
A highly anticipated report commissioned by the Cologne archdiocese on church officials’ handling of past cases of sexual abuse by clergy is set to be released Thursday.

By Kirsten Grieshaber

German bishop orders new look at U.S. claims against Schonstatt founder
- Mar 11, 2021
Bishop Stephan Ackermann of Trier has ordered a reexamination of abuse allegations against Father Joseph Kentenich, the founder of the international Schonstatt movement, from his time in exile in the U.S.

By Catholic News Service
Lawyer: New report on abuse in Cologne will incriminate church officials
- Mar 3, 2021
The second expert report commissioned to investigate abuse in the Archdiocese of Cologne also incriminates church officials who are still alive and accuses them of mistakes in dealing with cases of sexualized violence, according to its author, Björn Gercke.

By Catholic News Service
German bishops elect female general secretary amid abuse-dominated meeting
- Feb 26, 2021
The German bishops’ conference elected a woman as general secretary during a virtual assembly that turned into a crisis meeting focused on the church’s handling of sex abuse.

By Anli Serfontein
Top German bishop laments ‘scandalous’ image of church
- Feb 25, 2021
The head of the German Bishops’ Conference said Thursday that the country’s Catholic church is suffering from a “scandalous image” amid mounting anger over the Cologne archbishop’s handling of a report on past sexual abuse by clergy, but he defended its overall record in addressing the issue.

By Associated Press