A year after a widespread sex scandal rocked Roman Catholics in Pope Benedict XVI’s homeland, German intellectuals and faithful alike are turning their backs on the church, calling for change or simply leaving the congregation.
German theologians and others have aired their discontent in a series of petitions to church leaders calling for changes including more transparency, an end to celibacy, and women’s ordination.
“After their initial horror, many responsible Christians, women and men, in ministry and outside of ministry, have come to realise that deep-reaching reforms are necessary,” wrote leading German theologians in a petition to the nation’s highest Catholic officials.
Germany has long been a cradle of religious thought and agitation for reform, stemming from Martin Luther in the 1500s up to today’s outspoken Swiss-born Vatican critic, Hans Kung. The pope himself, before moving to Rome, taught theology at German universities.
The Vatican has not responded to the petitions, but the German Bishops Conference sought to address the issue in March by announcing a series of platforms for dialogue “aimed at giving our church in Germany a theological profile and sense of cohesion in this new century.”
Many would welcome a signal from the pope that he supports such discussion, but there are no exchanges with parishioners or lay people scheduled during his Sept. 22-25 visit to Berlin and eastern Germany.
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