THE Catholic Church in Germany covered up some of the abuse cases, the bishop appointed to investigate the allegations has admitted.Germany’s justice department is also establishing a forum to look into the claims of paedophilia, but say this will not be confined to Catholic institutions as several have emerged against Protestant and other religions.
Most allegations come from students in the many schools in Germany, run and managed by the Catholic Church.
The German bishops have reacted differently to the Irish hierarchy and much more swiftly.
They have appointed Bishop Stephan Ackermann to look into the abuse claims and he has admitted that the Church covered up some of them.
"According to what we now know, there were instances of suppression. That is something we have to painfully acknowledge. I have learned in recent days that we were too focused on protecting the perpetrators… We showed improper deference to the reputation of the Church," he told a German newspaper.
The hierarchy has also welcomed the intervention of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who said the scandal was an issue for the entire country.
She told parliament all options were on the table and the justice department’s investigation will include changing rules that limit the
Many of the more than 300 people who have come forward with details of abuse cannot currently take their cases through the courts because of the statute of limitation.
Archbishop Reinhard Marx, the leader of the Catholic Church in Bavaria, told journalists yesterday that he supported changing the law so that Church officials have a firm duty to report suspected child abuse cases.
He added that the Church would take similar action to ensure that suspicions were referred to the state’s justice authorities.
But all eyes are on Rome as Pope Benedict XVI was Archbishop of Munich for five years.
During that time, it has emerged a paedophile priest was returned to the ministry after treatment but continued to abuse children.
The man, who was vicar general at the time, said that Archbishop Joseph Ratzinger, as he was then, did not know about the case.
With more than 1,000 priests in the archdiocese and the then archbishop with his sights firmly fixed on promotion to Rome, Vatican experts say this is possible.
The Pope is due to release a pastoral letter to Catholics in Ireland today.
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