THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: German Catholic groups have hit out at the pope's silence over a snowballing paedophilia priest scandal rocking his native country's Church.
The scandal "affects people, whether they are religious or not," said Dirk Taenzler, head of the Federation of German Catholic Youth (BDKJ), in the Berliner Zeitung daily.
"The Holy Father should make a statement about this."
He added that the German Catholic Church, which has been hit by allegations of child sex abuse dating back decades on an almost daily basis in recent weeks, was in the midst of one of its "biggest identity crises since 1945".
Christian Weisner from the German chapter of reform movement We Are Church said meanwhile that the pope "has not yet realised the full extent of the unease" caused.
The recent statement from the Vatican alleging a campaign to target the pope "is the worst possible communication strategy thinkable," Weisner told the Munich regional daily TZ.
"Many Catholics who are faithful to the Church regret the fact that Benedict XVI has failed to express a single word of sympathy," Weisner added. >>> AFP | Tuesday, March 16, 2010
