German bishops criticised for appointing priest linked to gay seminary scandal to abuse advisory board

The decision by the German bishops to appoint a priest previously linked to a major seminary scandal to an advisory body representing abuse victims has sparked controversy in Germany and drawn criticism from victims’ groups as well as from some senior Church figures.

In December 2024 the German Bishops’ Conference appointed Fr Wolfgang Rothe, a priest of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, to its advisory board for victims of sexual abuse. 

The board was established to give survivors a voice in shaping the Church’s response to abuse and to advise the bishops on safeguarding and pastoral support.

Yet the appointment quickly proved contentious because of Fr Rothe’s own history, which has been the subject of court proceedings and intense media scrutiny for more than two decades.

The controversy resurfaced after a detailed report published by the German magazine Cicero examined Fr Rothe’s background and the internal reaction to his nomination. 

According to the report, the appointment had already caused unease among some bishops before it was formally announced.

Among those said to have objected was Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer of Regensburg, who reportedly described the nomination as “unacceptable”. 

The report also indicated that Cardinal Reinhard Marx raised concerns during discussions about the appointment in late 2024. Nevertheless, the decision was approved under the leadership of Bishop Georg Bätzing.

The objections relate principally to events that occurred during Rothe’s time as deputy rector of the diocesan seminary in St Pölten, Austria, in the early 2000s. 

The seminary became the centre of a major scandal in 2004 after reports emerged that child pornography had been found on computers and that photographs existed showing homosexual activity involving seminarians and staff.

Fr Rothe and the seminary’s rector at the time stepped down as the affair dominated headlines in Austria. 

The crisis ultimately led to the intervention of the Vatican and the closure of the seminary following an apostolic visitation led by Bishop Klaus Küng.

Bishop Küng said at the time that the institution had lost sight of its purpose, warning that it was producing men who were “utterly unfit” for priestly ministry. 

He referred to the Church’s teaching that men with what the Vatican describes as “deep-seated homosexual tendencies” should not be admitted to the seminary or ordained.

Fr Rothe has consistently denied wrongdoing. 

However, legal proceedings brought by the priest in response to media reporting have repeatedly failed in court.

In 2004 the Austrian magazine Profil reported that Rothe had maintained sexual relationships with seminarians while serving as sub-regens, or vice-rector, at the St Pölten seminary. 

Rothe challenged the allegations in court, suing the magazine’s publisher for defamation.

The Vienna Regional Court dismissed the case in September 2005 after examining witness testimony and other evidence. 

According to the court’s findings, it had been established that Fr Rothe had maintained a homosexual relationship with a seminarian which was openly practised at the seminary. 

The judges ruled that the magazine’s reporting had therefore been justified.

Rothe appealed against the ruling but was unsuccessful. In June 2006 the Vienna Higher Regional Court upheld the earlier decision. 

The priest then sought to challenge the outcome at the European Court of Human Rights, arguing that the publications should be halted. That attempt also failed and the reporting remains accessible online.

This history has led critics to argue that his appointment to a body representing abuse victims is inappropriate. 

Some have gone further, claiming that the priest himself should be regarded as a perpetrator rather than a victim.

The Catholic reform initiative Neuer Anfang publicly condemned the appointment earlier this year. 

Bernhard Meuser, a co-founder of the group, and theologian Gabriel Weiten, both of whom say they suffered spiritual and sexual abuse as teenagers, described the decision as “a punch in the gut”.

Weiten said that learning of the appointment revived memories he believed had long been overcome. 

“As if by magic, the nightmares returned,” he said. Meuser said that he and other members of the initiative initially assumed the nomination must have been an error.

“We thought: there must be a mistake,” he said. The group said it contacted the bishops’ conference privately in December 2024 to raise concerns about Rothe’s appointment but received no meaningful response.

“We ran into a wall,” Meuser and Weiten said in a joint statement. “There was stonewalling, downplaying, and silence at all levels of the German Bishops’ Conference.”

In a letter addressed to all German bishops, the two men argued that allowing someone with such a controversial history to serve on a victims’ advisory body undermines the Church’s credibility. They described the decision as “a fatal error of judgement” and “a slap in the face to genuine victims”.

The initiative has also questioned the responsibility of Bishop Bätzing, who signed off on the appointment. 

The group said that the bishops’ conference had repeatedly promised transparency in dealing with abuse cases but that the handling of Rothe’s nomination appeared inconsistent with those commitments.

The criticism has also been fuelled by Fr Rothe’s more recent public activism. 

In 2021 he was among the clergy involved in a nationwide initiative in which priests and pastoral workers held public ceremonies blessing same-sex couples. 

More than one hundred such events were organised across Germany in May of that year.

Fr Rothe has also pursued legal action in Germany over criticism related to the issue of homosexuality within the Church. 

In 2021 he filed a complaint against the Polish priest Fr Dariusz Oko after Fr Oko had published an article addressing what he described as networks of homosexual abuse within ecclesiastical structures.

Rothe has also claimed that he was the victim of sexual abuse during the St Pölten affair, alleging misconduct by Bishop Küng, who had been appointed by the Vatican to investigate the seminary. 

Both Church and state authorities examined the allegation, but no definitive conclusion was reached and the matter was eventually dropped because of the statute of limitations.

Backing of 'Philomena’s Law' hailed as 'step forward' for mother and baby home survivors in UK

SURVIVORS OF MOTHER and baby homes living in the UK will not have social welfare influenced by payments under the Irish redress scheme.

The proposal, named Philomena’s Law after survivor and campaigner Philomena Lee, was backed by UK prime minister Keir Starmer and Taoiseach Micheál Martin in a joint statement today following the UK-Ireland Summit in Co Cork.

Payments made under the scheme are already disregarded for tax purposes and in assessments for social welfare and other benefits in Ireland, but survivors living in Britain raised concerns about applying to the scheme.

Labour MP Liam Conlon in the House of Commons brought forward the bill last year to allow survivors living in the UK to claim redress without it impacting their existing benefits. 

“We acknowledge the suffering of those who spent time in mother and baby homes during the 20th century,” the leaders said in a statement today.

“In recognition of the lifelong impact of this, today the UK agrees to disregard payments under Ireland’s Mother and Baby Redress Scheme, ensuring that survivors in both countries are treated the same and can receive the compensation to which they are rightly entitled.

“We also welcome Ireland’s agreement in principle to disregard means for compensation payments from UK schemes.”

Philomena Lee emphasised the importance of redress while welcoming the news today.

“As someone who experienced the cruelty of a Mother and Baby home, I know that no amount of money can ever undo the pain or give back what was taken from so many women like me. But recognition, accountability and redress do matter, and no survivor should ever be penalised for accepting the compensation they are rightfully owed,” she said.

“I am truly pleased that the Government has recognised this by confirming that Philomena’s Law will now come into effect. This is a deeply meaningful step forward, and I’m sincerely grateful to everyone who has worked so tirelessly to make it happen.”

“It has been a real honour to lend my name to this campaign. I hope this moment brings long-awaited justice for survivors living in Britain, and that it also helps shine a light on the legacy of the Mother and Baby homes, reminding us all of the importance of treating survivors with dignity, compassion and kindness.”

Patricia Carey, Special Advocate for Survivors of Institutional Abuse, also welcomed the announcement. “I am acutely aware of how critical this historic disregard will be for Survivors living in Britain who spent time in Ireland’s Mother and Baby Institutions,” she said.

“We are aware from engaging directly with Survivors living in Britain, that this situation has resulted in a lot of fear and anxiety for people, who are understandably concerned about the impact of accepting redress on their means-tested social benefits.”

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality Norma Foley, said there have been 770 applications from UK survivors to the scheme, some 580 of which have received an offer of an award.

“I am pleased to welcome this important announcement by An Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Prime Minister Keir Starmer,” she said.

“I am conscious that some survivors of mother and baby institutions living in the UK, and eligible for the scheme, were potentially facing lower benefits if they accepted an award from the scheme.”

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald TD praised the hard work of survivors, support groups, and Irish community groups in Britain.

She said that approximately 13,000 Irish citizens living in Britain are eligible for compensation under the Mother and Baby Homes Redress Scheme.

“Hopefully, we will see many more apply for redress now that the prospect of losing benefits is being lifted. They are entitled to access compensation for the horrendous abuse they suffered without fear, apprehension or stress,” she said.

“The horrors of the state-sanctioned, systematic abuse carried-out in the Mother and Baby Homes casts a dark shadow still. The survivors live with the trauma every day of their lives.”

“They are strong, courageous, dignified people who deserve justice, respect and reparation. This pledge by the British Prime Minister is a very welcome step forward and now we must see it implemented. My thoughts are with the survivors and their families today.”

Enoch Burke lost his ‘enhanced prisoner’ status ‘due to behaviour’, court hears

Enoch Burke lost his ‘enhanced prisoner’ status due to his behaviour while on a court visit, the High Court has heard.

The former teacher then had to be moved to Castlerea Prison, as there was nowhere safe to hold him among the general, overcrowded prison population in Mountjoy, Judge Brian Cregan was told.

Mr Burke has claimed that his transfer earlier this month was unlawful, but this has been firmly denied by the Irish Prison Service (IPS).

Barrister David Perry yesterday read a sworn statement from Don Culliton, director of operations at the IPS.

Mr Culliton noted that Mr Burke was committed to Mountjoy in Dublin on January 19 this year for contempt of court, having failed to obey the order to stay away from his former school.

He said the IPS operated an ‘incentivised regimes policy’, in which prisoners were given basic, standard or enhanced status.

On February 26, a review of Mr Burke’s behaviour was carried out by prison authorities.

‘The review found that the behaviour exhibited by the defendant while escorted to court failed to meet the required standard,’ he said.

This standard included compliance with all reasonable instructions, and co-operation with staff, he added.

Accordingly, on February 27, Mr Burke dropped to the standard regime. 

Following a risk assessment, Mr Culliton said, ‘it was deemed that the defendant was not suitable for accommodation in the general population of Mountjoy Prison as he would face risks to his own safety’.

He required a single-occupancy cell, but Mr Culliton said Mountjoy was at 135% capacity, with 83 prisoners sleeping on the floor.

Mr Culliton said he ordered the transfer of Mr Burke to Castlerea Prison in Co. Roscommon on March 1 for his own safety and protection. Mr Burke is currently in a single cell, he said.

Mr Burke responded that the court order under which he had been imprisoned stated that he must be taken to Mountjoy and detained there until he purged his contempt.

He claimed it was wrong to treat him as a criminal when he was behind bars due to a civil offence, with no trial and no sentence.

Mr Burke said he had been accused by prison officials of stalling on leaving the courtroom, when he had only been trying to take legal papers being given to him by his brother, Isaac Burke.

He said the second alleged misconduct related to how he had spoken to Judge Cregan on February 20 – which he said was ‘an attempt by the prison service to punish me for being vocal in court’.

He noted that ‘no particular prison is a paradise’, saying he had witnessed regular ‘fist fighting’ and drug use at Mountjoy.

Judge Cregan asked him again if he would purge his contempt. When he refused, the judge said it was a ‘tragedy’ that Mr Burke was ‘wasting’ his life in prison.

Judge Cregan said he would give his judgment regarding the lawfulness of the transfer on Wednesday of next week.

'Cultural catastrophe' as 9 church organs a week in Britain are sent to landfill

Around nine pipe organs are sent to landfill every week in Britain according to new research. 

Pipe Up, a charity which saves pipe organs from “mouldering away” said many organs are disused, even in functioning churches, often because of the lack of a regular organist or routine maintenance.

The charity, which was founded in 2022 has published new research which found that an estimated five organs are lost to landfill as a result of church closures, with five being dumped because of “silence and decay”.

Pipe Up estimates that there are 15,000 or fewer organs left in Britain. Of these, half are already unplayable and of those that are playable, only a half are regularly used. 

As a result, the organisation said that within ten years, the number of pipe organs in Britain will have halved and by 2070, there will be no playable pipe organs still left in Britain outside Cathedrals, Oxbridge Colleges and a small number of concert halls and well- funded churches.

The report found that the rate of loss is being compounded by the growing inability of churches to fund either routine or major work to their organs and a lack of church awareness of even basic care measures. 

It predicts there will be a 20% reduction in the number of professionals able to care for organs by 2036. 

It also cites “inadequate grants for organ repairs, notably from the National Lottery Heritage Fund”.

Britain's pipe organs are renowned as a world-class heritage of craftsmanship and musical achievement and for many communities, they are the gateway to a huge repertoire of music.

Pipe Up Chair George Allan said: “This is a cultural catastrophe for Britain. The experience of hearing live pipe organ music will be lost from almost every town and village and become the preserve of privileged élites.

“Pipe Up is now even more determined to lead a spirited fight-back to prevent this.”

The group has claimed the end of the government’s listed places of worship scheme which enabled churches to claim back VAT on repairs will cause many churches to skimp on organ maintenance. 

The charity said the cost of routine repair and maintenance of a typical local church pipe organ will now increase from an average of £600 a year to £720.

The charity has launched a crowdfunder with the aim of getting 26 more silent organs back into playable conditions in 2026.

Vicar defends church's devil horn-shaped tribute to The Prodigy singer

A  vicar has defended a new devil horn‑shaped memorial bench honouring The Prodigy’s late frontman Keith Flint after some locals questioned whether the striking design was appropriate for a churchyard.

The bench, installed at St Mary’s Church in Bocking, Essex, features two curved metal horns inspired by Keith’s signature look and sits near his grave. 

While many fans have praised the tribute, others complained that the bold design felt out of place in a traditional church setting.

Reverend Rod Reid said the church fully supported the memorial and stressed that both The Prodigy and Keith's family had been thoughtful and respectful throughout the process.

He told BBC News: “The band and the family wanted something fitting for the churchyard. They were very respectful and very aware of the setting.

“For local people here in Braintree and around, this means an awful lot. They remember seeing [Flint and Howlett] on the dance floors in Braintree. They have followed them all the way through and they are proud.”

The bench was commissioned to mark Keith’s lasting impact on the local community, where The Prodigy first formed and built their early following. 

Fans have already begun visiting the site to pay their respects, with many sharing photos and messages celebrating the singer’s legacy.

Keith, who died in 2019 at the age of 49, remains one of the most influential figures in British electronic music. His explosive stage presence, distinctive style and era‑defining hits such as Firestarter and Breathe helped propel The Prodigy to global fame in the 1990s.

Braintree has long embraced its connection to the band, with murals, tributes and annual gatherings held in Keith’s honour.

Reverend Reid said the churchyard has always welcomed visitors and sees the bench as a meaningful way for fans to remember the local legend.

He added that the design reflects the personality of a performer who meant so much to the town. Reid said: “It’s a place where people come to reflect.

“Keith was a huge part of this community, and this is a way of recognising that.”

Christians urged to speak out as poll shows many Britons still value Christian roots

A Christian researcher has said new polling, which suggests many Britons still value the country’s Christian heritage, should encourage believers to speak more confidently about their faith.

Andrew Hawkins, chief executive of polling firm Whitestone Insight, said the findings show Christianity continues to resonate with the public, even as fewer people identify as Christian.

The survey of more than 2,000 adults found 52 per cent believe Britain risks moral decline if its Christian roots are ignored. Meanwhile, 58 per cent said Christianity still has something positive to offer in how the country is governed.

Hawkins told Premier Christian News the results should give Christians confidence to share the gospel with others.

“Churches and Christians need to have the confidence from this survey of knowing that Christianity has cast a very long shadow, in a positive sense, over British society,” he said.

“And going and speaking to our non-Christian neighbours, or people of any other faith, is something which is very often to be welcomed.”

He said Britain has experienced a steady decline in the number of people identifying as Christian over the past three decades, alongside growing concerns about social division and a loss of shared moral understanding.

“In the last 35 years or so, the proportion who define as Christian has just about halved,” Hawkins said. “At the same time, there’s been a growing sense that society is fragmented and that institutions have been damaged.”

Hawkins said the research suggests many people still recognise the moral foundations Christianity has given to Western society, even if they do not personally identify with the faith.

He pointed to principles such as moral equality, protection of the vulnerable and freedom of conscience as ideas rooted in Christianity that continue to shape public life. 

Those values, he said, have historically influenced institutions including hospitals, schools and universities.

The polling also indicates younger generations may be more open to Christianity’s influence than previously assumed.

The research shows people aged between 35 and 64 were the most sceptical about Christianity’s role in strengthening society, while younger adults showed greater openness to the idea of objective moral values.

The results came ahead of a conference in Oxford this week examining the possibility of a Christian revival in the UK.

While many have pointed to what has been described as a “quiet revival” in the UK with church attendance on the rise, Hawkins said it remains to be seen whether increased curiosity about Christianity will translate into long-term discipleship. 

He believes the key message for Christians is to engage thoughtfully and confidently in conversations about faith and society.

“People are often not aware of the contribution Christianity has made to the world around us,” he said. “When they understand that contribution, it does make them sit up and take notice.”

Pope Leo XIV: Learn hospitality from St. Joseph and Holy Family

“I encourage you to be educators in hospitality,” Pope Leo XIV said on Thursday in the Vatican when addressing participants in the “Cathedra of Hospitality,” a cultural and educational event now in its fourth edition, held in Sacrofano, a town north of Rome.

Organized by movements and Third Sector organizations in collaboration with Rome’s Pontifical Lateran University, the event provides spaces for dialogue and reflection on current issues. This year, the theme was “Youth and the Church: Hospitality that fosters belonging.”

In his remarks, the Holy Father offered reflections on the theme addressed by the “Cathedra." The Pope acknowledged that the days of reflection were animated by the awareness that the Christian vocation is oriented toward generating communion among people.

With this in mind, the Pope observed that communion arises from the ability to welcome others by offering listening, hospitality, and assistance.

The grace of an encounter

Pope Leo XIV said that at the heart of every authentic welcome, there is a relationship born from the grace of an encounter. He explained that it is precisely within this dynamic of encounter that the decision to dedicate the fourth edition of the “Cathedra” to young people is situated.

“In a time marked by profound cultural and social transformations,” the Pope said, “young people, who are naturally the future of society and of the Church, already constitute its living and generative present.”

The Holy Father noted that their questions and concerns invite us to renew the style of our relationships.

“Welcoming young people means, first of all,” Pope Leo said, “listening to their voices, meeting their gaze, and recognizing that, in their lives and in their languages, the Spirit continues to act and to suggest renewed paths of presence and care.”

Presence and care

The Pope said he wished to dwell on two words, namely "presence" and "care," which help illuminate the Christian meaning of hospitality.

“Each of us, from the first moment of life," he pointed out, "grows within a social reality,” citing the family, the parish, the school, the university, and the workplace. Each of these, he noted, represent models of society where different psychological, juridical, moral, pedagogical, and cultural dimensions intersect, and "are spaces of identity formation whose primary task is defined precisely by presence."

“To be present in the lives of others,” Pope Leo XIV emphasized, “means sharing time, experiences, and meaning, offering stable points of reference in which others can recognize themselves and grow.”

“Looking to the Holy Family of Nazareth,” the Pope said, “every welcoming community can rediscover its own calling and learn to orient itself along the path of service.”

The experience of the Holy Family

Pope Leo suggested that the Gospel episode in which Mary and Joseph cannot find Jesus, and, in anguish, find Him again after three days in the Temple, teaches that the presence of the other is not automatic but the result of a constant search.

“It has happened to each of us,” the Pope observed, “to lose someone or something to which we were deeply attached. In that moment we realize how precious that presence was.”

The same happens in the life of faith, he said. "We often take for granted the presence of Jesus in our existence until suddenly it seems that He is no longer where we left Him."

Called to seek Jesus

“We feel a sense of loss,” the Pope said. “In reality, it is not He who has been lost, but we who have moved away.”

When this happens, Pope Leo explained, we are called to seek Him with trust and with the courage to travel unexplored paths, looking at the world with new eyes filled with hope.

“In this way,” he said, “we will stop looking for a God made to our own measure and instead encounter Him where He dwells.”

Seeking Jesus, Pope Leo XIV added, therefore means passing from the security of our convictions to the responsibility of encounter, learning to see and welcome the presence of God who is always “beyond.”

St. Joseph’s powerful example

“This is precisely what Saint Joseph did in safeguarding the family entrusted to him by the Lord,” Pope Leo said.

In Joseph, the Pope explained, we recognize that welcoming, in addition to presence, is also care.

“To care,” Pope Leo said, “means to stand beside the other with attention, to respect their choices, and to take responsibility for them.”

This attitude, he noted, belongs first of all to God, whom the Bible shows as the guardian of His people. He explained that the human family, too, is called to preserve what has been entrusted to it.

“Thus Joseph,” the Pope observed, “shows us that presence and care are inseparable dimensions: one does not safeguard without being present, and one is not truly present without assuming responsibility for the other.”

Moving toward holiness

With this sentiment, Pope Leo XIV suggested that presence and care can represent two lamps along the path toward a form of hospitality capable of opening paths to holiness.

Thanking those present for their silent and discreet commitment, the Pope encouraged them to be educators in hospitality and to continue together "to create environments capable of promoting goodness and fraternity in the Christian community and in society."

Study uncovers significantly more abuse cases in the Archdiocese of Paderborn

In the Archdiocese of Paderborn, there have been many more cases of sexual abuse than previously known. 

This is shown by a reappraisal study presented by scientists at the University of Paderborn on Thursday. 

There is talk of 210 accused and 489 people affected between 1941 and 2002. 

In the run-up to the presentation, serious accusations were also made against the former Archbishop of Paderborn, Johannes Joachim Degenhardt: He is said to have not only covered up abuse, but was himself the perpetrator. 

In the new study, however, there are no concrete indications.

According to the spokesman of the district council in the Archdiocese of Paderborn, Reinhold Harnisch, the panel has been accused of a person affected against Degenhardt since the end of 2025. 

At the time of the alleged act, the person concerned is said to have been a minor. Cardinal Degenhardt, who died in 2002, is considered to be the accused, according to the representation of the person concerned. She is investigating whether and to what extent there have been other victims and perpetrators.

Classification of the case difficult

Harnisch could not say whether this is one of the three cases that the Archdiocese of Paderborn had made public in October for reasons of transparency. For reasons of personal right, the representation of the data subject did not initially exchange data with the archdiocese. The Archdiocese of Paderborn has also so far been unable to answer this question.

The archdiocese had itself published allegations of abuse against Degenhardt in October and against its predecessor, Cardinal Lorenz Jaeger. 

However, these accusations were partly incomplete, contradictory or brought via third parties, according to the archdiocese at the time. External experts would also have rated them as not plausible. 

Church historian Nicole Priesching has also investigated these allegations as part of her study. However, she did not want to make a classification on Thursday, because the data situation was too thin: "I could not make an assessment before the current data material."

The case numbers of the study for the Archdiocese of Paderborn are about twice as high as the figures for the archdiocese determined in a Germany-wide study of 2018. Priesching and her team came across 210 clues to accused clergy. In addition, at least 489 children and adolescents were subjected to sexual assaults by clergy. However, it was only the bright field, the researchers added.

The so-called MHG study had identified only 111 accused and 197 victims in the Archdiocese of Paderborn in 2018. These figures refer to the period from 1946 to 2014. The current study covers the terms of office of the Archbishops Jaeger and Degenhardt from 1941 to 2002.

Priesching and her team have been investigating the phenomenon of sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Paderborn for nearly six years. They read church records and interviewed contemporary witnesses. 

They accused the two former archbishops of cover-up. The cardinals had shown great clemency towards accused priests, even if they had been convinced of their guilt. They would not have taken care of those affected.

Other Bishops under suspicion

The allegations of abuse against Degenhardt are not the first of its kind. The founding bishop of the diocese of Essen, Cardinal Franz Hengsbach (1910–1991), is also said to have been a perpetrator. 

There are several allegations of sexual violence against him. They refer on the one hand to his term of office in Essen from 1958, on the other hand to the time before as a priest and auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Paderborn. A sociological-historical study investigates the allegations. 

In addition, the former Hildesheim bishop Heinrich Maria Janssen (1907–1988) is also accused of abuse. 

However, two reports have so far neither confirmed nor invalidated the allegations.

In 2027, another study is to be published on the term of office of the still living former Archbishop Hans-Josef Becker, who was at the head of the Archdiocese from 2002 to 2022. 

On Friday, the archdiocese itself plans to comment on the study. 

The reigning Archbishop Udo Markus Bentz sat in the audience at the presentation of the investigation.

Former Paderborn Cardinal Degenhardt is said to be abuser

Accusations of abuse are being made against the former Archbishop of Paderborn and Cardinal Johannes Joachim Degenhardt. 

The affected person in the Archdiocese of Paderborn estimates the corresponding accusation of a person concerned as credible, as their spokesman Reinhold Harnisch of the Catholic News Agency (KNA) said on Thursday. 

He commented before the presentation of a review by the University of Paderborn in the early afternoon. 

Two church historians had evaluated church records for six years and talked to contemporary witnesses.

According to Harnisch, the allegations of the person concerned have been in place since the end of 2025. At the time of the alleged act, he is said to have been a minor. 

For the representation of the persons concerned, the Degenhardt, who died in 2002, was considered to be the accused. 

The group is investigating whether and to what extent there have been other victims and perpetrators.

Degenhardt is also said to have covered up

The Archdiocese of Paderborn could not initially say on request whether the now-acclaim made was already part of those allegations to which it had commented in October. 

For reasons of transparency, it had itself published accusations against Degenhardt and against his predecessor, Cardinal Lorenz Jaeger. 

However, the previously known accusations were partly incomplete, contradictory or brought via third parties, according to the archdiocese at the time. 

External reviewers would have rated them as unplausible.

In 2021, the researchers at the university had already certified the two archbishops abuse cover-up. 

Jaeger and Degenhardt had protected accused clergy and hardly showed care for those affected. 

Perpetrators were transferred and further assaults were accepted.

More than 93 million euros for those affected by abuse in the church

By the end of last year, 2,978 victims of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church had reached out to the Independent Commission for Recognition Benefits (UKA). 

The panel, which has been in place since the beginning of 2021, decides how much money abuse sufferers in the Catholic Church receive in recognition of the suffering inflicted on them. 

According to the Commission’s annual report presented on Thursday, just over 93.2 million euros have been approved for this so far.

Last year alone, it was about 7.7 million euros in the area of so-called initial and subsequent applications. In addition, there were additional amounts for those concerned who had, for example, objected to an earlier Commission decision.

Individual sums above 250,000 euros

The procedure is based on an order adopted by the German bishops. When calculating the amount of performance, the Commission is guided by judgments of state courts on compensation for pain, namely on its upper margin. 

There is no maximum limit. On average, those affected received around 33,500 euros; in 47 cases since the beginning of 2021, the total awarded was over 250,000 euros.

The number of initial applications stood at 186 in 2025, it said. This is a low and corresponds almost to a halving compared to the initial applications in 2024. 

For comparison, 1,565 applications were registered in the first year of the UKA's existence, 2021. After 998 open transactions were still due to be decided at the end of 2024, this figure was reduced to 688 last year, according to the panel.

Confirmation by Pontifical Commission

UKA Chairwoman Margarete Reske expressed delight that her panel's work had received international recognition in the annual report of the Pontifical Anti-Abuse Commission 2025. 

"The fact that, in addition to engagement in other countries, the German procedure for the recognition of suffering, which has been inflicted on those affected by sexual abuse, was positively appreciated with its broad participation of the dioceses and orders and the individual case-related activity of the UKA, we see as an encouragement and will continue to strive to continue on the path taken," the lawyer said.

Church historian: Celibacy historically unsustainable

The British historian Diarmaid MacCulloch (74) considers the church justifications for celibacy and the Catholic gender image to be historically unsustainable. 

The Vatican knows exactly how weak these arguments are, MacCulloch told the "Zeit" supplement "Christian and World." 

Priestly marriage was the norm in the Catholic Church until well into the Middle Ages. He would tell the Vatican that his views on marriage and sexuality are a construct of the High Middle Ages and not of eternity.

Rome can quickly change its views, MacCulloch said. The Vatican has done this several times in history. 

Before Vatican II, it was said that there was no salvation outside the Church – it was different afterwards. MacCulloch is Professor Emeritus of Church History at Oxford University. 

His latest book, "Lower Than the Angels," was published in February. 

The historian hopes that conservative readers will also discover a "subversive message" in it.

Celibacy not durable

Addressing married clergy of other denominations, MacCulloch pointed out that these can convert to Catholicism and become Catholic priests. 

He estimates that around a third of Catholic clergy working in England consist of converted, married Anglican priests. "This is not tenable to those you force into celibacy," he said.

Even the argument of Pope John Paul II that the Church has no authority to ordain women as priests does not convince the historian. 

It is known that there were deacons in the early church, in some places until the early Middle Ages. 

“I am not impressed by these apparent obstacles of consecration, whether it be marriage, be it gender. Martin Luther wasn't either."

The central idea of the Reformation was the abolition of celibacy, according to MacCulloch. 

Luther had emphasized that there should be no fundamental difference between clerics and lay people. 

"He thought this was a great fraud and didn't want to live like that himself."

Ex-Swiss Guard new personal assistant to Pope Leo XIV

A former Swiss Guard is now working closely alongside the pope. 

Anton Kappler has recently become one of the personal assistants of Leo XIV, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni confirmed to the Catholic News Agency (KNA) on Wednesday. 

In this position, the 46-year-old supports the previous valet Piergiorgio Zanetti, who already held the post under Pope Francis (2013–2025). 

Zanetti previously worked for the pope's second security corps, the Vatican gendarmerie.

Like this, the Swiss Guard also ensures, among other things, the personal protection of the head of the church. Members of both services know the pope's needs as well as the necessary discretion. 

The new valet Kappler has worked in the Guard since 2001, was most recently part of the leadership squad. At the end of January, he had retired from the papal army after 25 years of service. 

Kappler comes from Sankt Gallen, a German-speaking canton of Switzerland. As it is said, Leo XIV currently wants to deepen his knowledge of German.

In the Swiss Guard, founded in 1506 by Pope Julius II, 135 men serve. They are responsible for the protection of the Pope and his residence. 

In addition, they accompany the head of the church on trips, check the entrances to the Vatican State and take up order and honorary services. 

The Guard may become a member of the Guard, who have rendered military service in their Swiss homeland and have a blameless reputation.

Anyone who becomes Hellebardier must be younger than 30 years and unmarried. Longer-serving guardsmen are allowed to marry.

Poll: Majority in Poland live together before church wedding

Two-thirds of couples in Poland live together before a church marriage. 

That's according to a nationwide survey by the Catholic Church in Poland, which church media reported on Tuesday. 

The aim of the survey was to learn more about today's couples and their motivations for a church wedding.

Results from the Archdiocese of Warsaw, for example, show that the decision for a church marriage is not only religiously motivated. 

At the same time, the majority of respondents described themselves as believing (71.2 percent) or deeply religious (18.3 percent). Most couples have been in a relationship for more than five years (43.8 percent) or for three to five years (29.2 percent). 

Around 67.2 percent lived together before the marriage. According to church teaching, this is forbidden and poses a pastoral challenge for the Church.

Pastoral Challenges

The advisor in the pastoral care of the Warsaw Archdiocese, Beata Chojnacka, explained that the figures would raise questions about pastoral care and the mediation of meaning and importance of marriage. 

Young people often do not understand the arguments behind church teaching, according to the expert.

There were also tensions in marriage preparation courses on church teaching. "In initial or final surveys, young couples often name points they disagree with, such as abortion, artificial insemination, contraception, or living together before marriage," she stressed. 

However, the question remains to what extent this is based on actual knowledge of church teaching or on public opinions.

The survey was conducted by the Institute for Church Statistics in collaboration with the National Center for Family Pastoral. The national results were presented by the Polish Bishops’ Conference at the end of February. 

The investigation is designed as a long-term project: in two to three years, the same group will be questioned again. This should be about their current life situation, possible difficulties and need for support, Chojnacka explained.

Polish bishops create an independent commission to investigate abuses in the Church

The Polish Episcopal Conference has approved the creation of an Independent Experts Commission to investigate the phenomenon of sexual abuse of minors in the Church in Poland.

According to a statement from the spokesman of the Polish episcopate, Jesuit Leszek Gęsiak, the decision was adopted on March 11 during the 404th Plenary Assembly of the bishops, in which the operating rules and statute of the new body were also approved.

A commission with public legal personality

After approving the documents that regulate its operation, the bishops decided to formally establish the Independent Experts Commission for the investigation of sexual abuse of minors in the Church in Poland, also granting it public legal personality.

The episcopal conference explained that the commission’s statute was approved after consulting the Conference of Major Superiors of Male Religious Orders in Poland and the Conference of Major Superiors of Female Religious Congregations.

Additionally, the bishops also approved the agreement that will allow the formal creation of the body, which will be signed by the Polish Episcopal Conference together with the organizations representing the male and female religious congregations of the country.

Public presentation of the documents

The Polish Episcopal Conference announced that the texts of the approved documents will be published and explained in a press conference at the end of the plenary assembly.

The appearance is scheduled for March 12 at 3:00 PM, when more details will be given about the operation and objectives of the new commission.

With this decision, the Polish episcopate establishes a new body intended to investigate the phenomenon of sexual abuse against minors in the sphere of the Church in Poland.

Is Cardinal Cobo suitable as Archbishop of Madrid? (Opinion)

The issue is no longer solely the Valley. 

The issue is the way authority is exercised. And when in the government of the Church legal, institutional, and prudential boundaries are crossed, what is at stake is not a specific decision, but the very suitability for the position.

In the case at hand, it was Cardinal José Cobo Cano who signed the “agreement” proposed by Minister Félix Bolaños on the future of the Valley. It was not done by the Benedictine community responsible for the temple. 

It was not done by the Spanish Episcopal Conference. It was not done either, as far as is known, by the Secretary of State of His Holiness, even though the cardinal himself later maintained in public appearances—as reported by the newspaper El País—that there would be a direct agreement with the Holy See. It was not the fruit of a collegial deliberation. It was a personal signature.

But the most worrying thing is not only who signed, but how it was done. In a matter of this complexity and institutional gravity, the usual procedures of consultation, deliberation, and contrast that characterize the ordinary action of the Church in sensitive matters were circumvented. 

There was no prior integration of the directly affected community. There was no knowledge or debate within the episcopate. There was no institutional transparency. The agreement was not known through official communication, but because one or some of the actors who had filed an appeal accessed the judicial file and found the signed text there.

And the content of the agreement explains the magnitude of the scandal. It states that within the temple, only the altar and the adjacent pews would be strictly destined for worship, leaving the rest of the available space for interventions promoted by the Government. In practice, this opened the door to political and ideological actions within the Basilica itself, reducing the sacred space to a minimum perimeter. 

After the signing, the Government published the public tender for the political and ideological resignification of the Valley, expressly including the interior of the temple in the terms provided in the text signed by the cardinal. It is not a minor detail: the Executive did not formally activate the procedure until it had that signature, which apparently gave it coverage to act within the Basilica. The cardinal’s personal authorization was the condition that allowed the Government to take the step.

Here an especially grave element is added. If, as is evident from the very legal configuration of the temple, the Archbishop of Madrid lacks direct competence over the Basilica and over the monastic community that governs it, then offering that coverage to the Government implies more than an internal imprudence: it means having generated in the civil power the appearance of an authorization that could not be granted. 

Acting in that way, knowing from the beginning that the necessary competence is not possessed, not only overflows the internal limits of the Church; it also introduces a dimension of institutional disloyalty toward the Government itself, to which a non-existent capacity for disposition is presented.

Reducing the sacred space to a minimum perimeter and considering the rest of the temple susceptible to governmental intervention is not a technical nuance. It is a profound redefinition of the concept of sacred place. 

The Code of Canon Law does not understand the temple as a fragmentable surface according to political opportunity criteria. The consecrated space is destined for worship in its entirety and protected by a specific legal regime that excludes its use for purposes alien to its religious nature. 

What was signed by the cardinal substantially contradicts what is provided in the canonical order for consecrated temples, by effectively admitting the implementation of non-liturgical actions of a political nature within it. To this is added the inviolability of temples recognized in the Church-State agreements and the constitutional protection of the religious freedom of the faithful.

Moreover, the Benedictine community had filed a contentious-administrative appeal in defense of the temple and its legal regime. From that fact, it is deduced that there was no shared ecclesial position nor real consent from those who have direct responsibility over the Basilica.

In the penultimate Plenary Assembly of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, the episcopate unanimously supported the mediation work of Cardinal Cobo. However, in the last Plenary Assembly, after the signed “agreement” became known, the position changed radically. 

The general secretary and spokesman of the CEE, Monsignor García Magán, declared to the media that in the Valley matter they had not been mere figureheads, that the cardinal Cobo should be asked directly, and that they knew nothing. It was not diplomatic ambiguity. It was an explicit distancing. The assembly body of the Spanish bishops that months earlier had backed the mediation completely disassociated itself from the signed content.

Despite all this, after the awarding of the winning project of the tender, the cardinal publicly expressed his approval. And he did so in a context in which the legal defense of the sacrality and integrity of the Basilica was public, known, and formally articulated in court. The legal opposition was not hypothetical or future: it was already in place. 

Even so, the cardinal did not adopt a position of prudent reserve. He expressed his explicit support for the project that developed the terms of the signed agreement. It was not silence or ambiguity: it was a clear stance. The collaboration with the Government’s pretensions was not episodic; it was direct, persistent, and consistent with the initial decision.

Here emerges the core of the problem: the confusion between mediation and authority, between personal initiative and real competence. To mediate is not to dispose. Mediation does not grant jurisdiction to legally commit third parties without express mandate. 

The Archbishop of Madrid does not have direct competence over the monastic community of the Valley nor authority to unilaterally redefine the internal status of a temple with a singular regime. Respect for law and procedures is not bureaucratic formalism: it is the guarantee against arbitrariness and abuse of authority.

Canon law requires that those who govern be adorned with solid faith, prudence, wisdom, zeal for souls, and other human virtues that make them apt for the ministry. They must enjoy a good reputation and watch over common discipline, avoiding abuses. Prudence implies not offering non-existent legal coverages. Pastoral zeal requires safeguarding the sacred. Human virtues include scrupulous respect for procedures and awareness of one’s own limits.

In any good administrator—and all the more so in a high hierarchy of the Church—respect for procedures and the prevention of arbitrariness and abuse of power are essential. Dispensing with them in a matter of this magnitude is not a mere strategic blunder; it is a way of proceeding that compromises institutional trust.

Nothing obliged the cardinal to act this way. There was no collegial mandate. There was no recorded consent from the responsible community. There was no urgency that justified circumventing ordinary channels or granting the Government an authorization that could not be given. The decision was personal. And the consequences—judicial appeal, episcopal distancing, public controversy—are also personal.

Governing Madrid requires more than initiative. It requires clear awareness of one’s own and others’ legal limits, respect for law, and the ability to act with prudence in matters of maximum sensitivity. When those principles are ignored in a case that affects the very heart of a temple and the religious freedom of the faithful, the issue ceases to be circumstantial.

Reasonable and prudent leadership, in the face of the evidence of an initial error of such magnitude, would have chosen another path: to rectify publicly, recognize the lack of integration, and apologize to the directly affected parties. That would have been the response consistent with the prudence demanded by episcopal government and with the responsibility imposed by the magnitude of the matter. 

However, the opposite happened. Far from correcting the course, the decision was upheld, support for the Government-driven project was reaffirmed, and when the scandal was already undeniable, the focus was shifted to the Secretariat of State of His Holiness, suggesting that the ultimate responsibility lay with it. Persisting in the error, reinforcing it, and finally diverting the burden to another institutional level is not a sign of strong governance; it is an unjustifiable blunder.

In view of the facts, the question can no longer be evaded or reduced to mere circumstantial controversy. It is formulated naturally in ecclesial circles, in discreet conversations, and in public reflections. It is not an isolated whim or rhetorical exaggeration: it is the doubt that is beginning to make its way among the faithful and members of the clergy. 

And that doubt is as simple as it is grave: Is Cardinal Cobo truly suitable to govern the Archdiocese of Madrid?

Scotland bishops say assisted suicide bill violates religious freedom

As Scotland nears a final vote by the Scottish Government’s Assisted Dying for Terminal Ill Adults Bill, the country’s bishops are expressing “deep concern” about the proposal.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the bishops noted the Scottish Government’s response an amendment which sought to introduce provisions allowing organizations – including hospices, care homes, and faith-based institutions – to exercise conscientious objection.

The Scottish Government stated that “it is not clear how an institution might demonstrate what their ‘conscience’ position is.”

The Bishops’ Conference said it strongly disagrees with the Government’s position, noting that every organization has guiding values that shape its mission and practice.

“For many faith‑based organizations, including Catholic hospices and care homes, these values are fundamentally incompatible with the introduction of assisted suicide,” said Bishop John Keenan of Paisley, the President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland.

“The Bishops’ Conference maintains that no organization should be compelled by the State to participate in the deliberate ending of life when doing so would violate its ethical or religious principles,” the bishop said.

Anthony Horan, the Director of the Scottish Catholic Parliamentary Office, said the Scottish Government and Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) must accept that Catholic hospices and care homes cannot, in good conscience, provide any services under the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill, nor can they be expected to refer anyone to such services.

“Assisted suicide is fundamentally incompatible with the Gospel,” he told Crux Now.

“If the Bill is not amended to reflect this reality, Catholic institutions may be forced to close to the severe detriment to the communities they have so committedly and compassionately served, many of them for hundreds of years,” Horan said.

The Scottish Parliament will be holding its final, Stage 3 vote on its Assisted Suicide bill on March 17.

On March 11, MSP Douglas Ross, a member of the Conservative Party, said he wanted to amend the Bill to ensure health professionals discuss palliative care options with the patient.

“Without that guarantee, I fear that this bill risks turning what should be a well-supported, fully informed decision, into a coerced or coerced by circumstance one,” he said.

Meanwhile, former health secretary Michael Matheson told the Scottish parliament that coercion – pressuring people to make them seek medically assisted suicide – would be an “inevitable” consequence of the proposed Bill.

On Tuesday, Right to Life UK said support for the Bill is declining in the Scottish Parliament.

“If just seven of the MSPs who voted for the Bill at Stage 1 switch their stance and vote against the Bill at the final vote at Stage 3 next Tuesday …, it will be defeated,” the pro-life group said in a statement.

Horan told Crux Now it is not yet time to be too optimistic.

“Whilst three MSPs who voted for the Bill at Stage 1 have already withdrawn their support, there is still a lot of work to be done to persuade MSPs that the Bill is not safe and never can be safe,” he said.

“The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland will continue to speak up for the inviolable dignity of every human being and work hard to protect vulnerable Scots by opposing this Bill,” Horan said.

An Assisted Dying Bill is also being debated in the UK Parliament in Westminster, England. Although it has been passed by the House of Commons, it has slowed down in the House of Lords, and there is now a good chance the Bill will not become law. That Bill, if passed, would only affect England and Wales.

More than 80 scientists sign Vatican peace manifesto

The Pontifical Academy for Life launched the initiative Scientists for Peace, an appeal to scientists, researchers, and academics worldwide to promote the concrete pursuit of peace through scientific research and international cooperation.

The project, promoted under the auspices of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, was announced amid global tensions and armed conflicts that, according to the organizers, threaten not only the affected populations but also freedom and cooperation in scientific research.

Promotion and defense of human life

In a press release, the Vatican body recalled that its mission is to study, from an interdisciplinary perspective, issues related to the promotion and defense of human life. Within this framework, it poses a central question: “Can scientific research, in its methods and objects of study, contribute to the pursuit of peace?”

According to the document, science — guided by the pursuit of truth and based on rigorous methodologies — develops through the exchange of knowledge and a constant willingness to engage in critical debate.

Although competition and debate are part of academic life, the manifesto’s proponents emphasize that these can be addressed through transparent communication and an effort to overcome individual interests in favor of the common good and the advancement of knowledge beyond national borders.

In this context, the initiative invites the international scientific community to actively advocate for peace and to work toward reconciliation and conflict resolution through the daily practice of research.

The appeal is also inspired by the words of Pope Leo XIV in his message for the 59th World Day of Peace in 2026, where he states: “Peace exists; it wants to dwell within us. It has the gentle power to enlighten and expand our understanding; it resists and overcomes violence.”

The initiative is open to scientists from all disciplines, nationalities, and cultural backgrounds, regardless of their political or religious beliefs.

Researchers with a significant international presence

So far, 80 scientists have already signed it. Among them are several researchers with a significant international presence in academic and media debate.

One signatory is ecologist David Tilman, considered one of the most influential researchers in the fields of biodiversity, climate change, and sustainable agriculture; another is developmental psychologist Michael Lamb, a professor at the University of Cambridge recognized for his studies on child development and family law.

In the field of education, prominent figures include character development expert Thomas Lickona, professor emeritus at the State University of New York at Cortland, and cultural psychologist Barbara Rogoff, a researcher at the University of California Santa Cruz, known for her work on sociocultural learning.

In the field of bioethics, the Dutch expert Henk ten Have, professor at Duquesne University and former head of scientific ethics at UNESCO, signed on, along with philosopher of law Laura Palazzani, professor at LUMSA University, and Spanish jurist Federico de Montalvo Jääskeläinen, professor at the Comillas Pontifical University and former president of the Bioethics Committee of Spain.

The list also includes social theologian Emilce Cuda, responsible for the Pontifical Commission for Latin America; Italian pediatrician Alberto Villani of the Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital in Rome, known for his media presence during the pandemic; neonatologist Daniele De Luca, professor at Paris-Saclay University; and agricultural researcher Felix Prinz zu Löwenstein of the FiBL Research Institute for Organic Agriculture, a leading figure in the European debate on organic farming and food sustainability.

Bishops establish working groups to advance Irish Synod’s seven priorities

Irish bishops have welcomed the establishment of new Working Groups tasked with advancing the seven national priorities that emerged from the ongoing synodal process across the Irish Church.

The groups were formed following extensive consultation during the synodal listening phase, where thousands of people across parishes, dioceses, schools and Church organisations shared their experiences and hopes for the future. 

The priorities identified through that process will now be examined in greater depth as the Church prepares for the next stage of the Irish Synodal Pathway.

Each Working Group will include a bishop, a staff member of the Episcopal Conference with responsibility for the relevant area, and a member of the National Synodal Team. They will also be joined by individuals with expertise and experience drawn from parish, diocesan and institutional settings.

The groups will study best practice, undertake research and engage in discernment before developing practical and mission-focused recommendations. These proposals will be presented to the National Synodal Team and the Bishops’ Conference ahead of the National Synodal Assembly scheduled for October 2026.

The seven priorities guiding the work are Belonging; Co-responsibility and Lay Ministry; Family; Formation and Catechesis; Healing; Women; and Youth.

Belonging focuses on fostering a Church that is welcoming, inclusive and safe, where people can find a home in community and in Christ. Co-responsibility and Lay Ministry aims to empower all the baptised to share leadership and mission in new ways.

Other priorities include supporting families as the primary place of faith transmission, deepening lifelong faith formation rooted in prayer and sacramental life, and addressing the need for healing and accountability in response to the wounds caused by abuse.

The priorities also highlight the importance of recognising women’s gifts and leadership at every level of Church life and creating authentic ways for young people to participate in leadership and mission.

Julieann Moran, General Secretary of the Irish Synodal Pathway, said the establishment of the groups represents an important step in moving the process forward. “These Working Groups represent an important step in translating the fruits of listening into concrete action,” she said. “Through careful research, prayerful discernment and collaboration, we hope to develop recommendations that will help the Church in Ireland grow as a community of hope, responsibility, healing and welcome.”

The bishops expressed hope that the work of the groups will help turn the insights gathered during the synodal listening phase into concrete steps for renewal, ensuring the Irish Synodal Pathway continues to move forward with clarity and confidence in the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

To read more about the Irish Synodal Pathway please click HERE

Don’t Politicize Pope Leo XIV’s Visit, Catholic Bishop in Angola Tells Politicians

Bishop Maurício Agostinho Camuto of Angola’s Catholic Diocese of Caxito has cautioned political leaders against turning the upcoming Apostolic Visit of Pope Leo XIV into a political spectacle, urging them instead to draw spiritual, moral, and social inspiration from Papal messages.

In his March 8 homily at the closing Mass of the Week of Solidarity at St. Joseph Freinademetz Parish of his Episcopal See, Bishop Camuto emphasized the spiritual significance of the Holy Father’s April 18-21 visit to Angola.

“Pope Leo XIV is coming; let us not think only of political gain from his presence, but rather seek, above all, spiritual, moral, and social benefit from his teachings,” the Angolan Catholic Bishop said.

Calling on Angolans to prepare spiritually for the Holy Father’s arrival, the Local Ordinary of Caxito appealed, “May every citizen and every leader prepare their hearts and minds to welcome this message from God. This visit is not a political event or an opportunity to display power.”

The Angolan member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans/Holy Ghost Fathers/CSSp.) described the Apostolic Visit of Pope Leo XIV as a moment of reflection and renewal for the Southern African nation.

“It is an opportunity to listen to the Word of God and to reflect on our faith, our lives, and our society. We must prepare ourselves to receive teachings that transform the spirit and not merely the outward appearance of things,” he said.

The Catholic Church leader also warned that Angolans should not repeat past mistakes by ignoring the messages delivered by previous Popes.

“In recent years, we failed to follow the teachings of John Paul II and Benedict XVI. They called for peace, reconciliation, and justice, but Angolans, especially politicians, let the messages enter one ear and leave through the other,” he said.

Bishop Camuto continued, “We cannot repeat the same errors with Leo XIV. We need the courage to listen and to obey.”

The 62-year-old Catholic Church leader described the Pope’s visit as both a blessing and a call to responsibility for the nation.

“The Pope’s visit is a blessing, but it is also a call to personal and collective responsibility,” he said, urging Angolans not to use the occasion for personal interests but rather as an opportunity for reflection and change.

He said, “Pope Leo XIV comes to teach, to correct, and to inspire. Let us take advantage of this opportunity with seriousness and with open hearts.”

Bishop Camuto further emphasized that the visit should help address the country’s spiritual needs and inspire moral renewal.

“The Pope’s visit is an opportunity to quench our spiritual thirst. We must seek truth, justice, love, and peace. Let us not turn his presence into a political spectacle, but rather welcome his teaching and practice charity in our families and in society,” he said.

Bishop Camuto also lamented that the guidance offered during previous papal visits had not been fully embraced.

“Pope John Paul II came and asked for reconciliation among families and communities, kissed our land, spoke about peace, and we did not listen. Benedict XVI, in 2009, spoke about the responsible use of wealth for the common good, and we did not achieve that,” he said.

“This visit of Leo XIV is an opportunity to redeem the mistakes of the past and truly learn,” he added.

The Catholic Bishop urged Angolans, including politicians and government leaders, to carefully listen to the Pope’s message during the April 18–21 visit and to apply it in their lives.

“Let every action and every decision be guided by ethics, morality, and love for one’s neighbor, and not by the pursuit of power or personal promotion,” he said.

According to Bishop Camuto, the true significance of the papal visit lies not in ceremonies or public displays, but in the spiritual transformation it can inspire.

“The true richness of the Pope’s visit is not in the stages or the decorated streets, but in the spiritual transformation each of us can achieve. Let us listen to his words, reflect on them, and allow ourselves to be guided by the light of Christ. Only then will the visit have a lasting effect on our society,” he said.

The Local Ordinary of Caxito called on Angolans to respond differently to the Pope’s message this time, saying, “Let us not be like those who received the words of previous Popes and returned to their old habits.”

“Each of us must do our part: listen, reflect, and act. Let politicians and leaders be the first to obey, to listen, and to practice Christian ethics and morality. Only then will we build an Angola of peace, love, and progress,” Bishop Camuto said.