The Catholic bishop of Eichstatt, Germany, has exercised his right to block the appointment of a theologian as president of a local Catholic university.Senior faculty members at Eichstatt University had chosen Ulrich Hemel, a theologian, as the institution's new president.
But Bishop Gregor Maria Hanke refused to confirm their choice.
The bishop holds veto power over the appointment under the terms of the concordat between Germany and the Holy See, which gives Church leaders some control over universities in exchange for diocesan contributions to the schools' administrative costs.
A spokesman for the diocese said that Bishop Hanke did not have confidence in Hemel, explaining that the would-be university president had violated the bishop's trust by repeating confidential remarks to the media.
The diocesan spokesman emphasized that the bishop's decision "has nothing to do with a lack of approval from Rome or with Professor Hemel's private life."
Journalists in Bavaria had speculated that Pope Benedict might have blocked the appointment because of disagreements with Hemel's theological views, or that Church leaders were concerned because Hemel has been divorced twice, and now lives with a third partner in a marriage not approved by the Church. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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