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.