Saturday, August 13, 2011

German bishops, Pope to discuss dissent

Leaders of the German Catholic hierarchy will meet with Pope Benedict XVI this week, to brief the Pontiff on affairs in his native country as he prepared for a visit there in September. 

German Catholics have been engaged in a series of consultations since 2010.

Originally designed to discuss the fallout from the sex-abuse scandal, the talks among German Church leaders have expanded to include questions on which dissident Catholics have mounted an aggressive public campaign, such as homosexuality, divorce, and the admission of non-Catholics to Communion. 

Archbishop Robert Zollitsch of Freiburg and Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Berlin will lead the German delegation meeting with the Pope at Castel Gandolfo on August 13.