In Germany, the birthplace of Pope Benedict XVI, the priest sex abuse scandal has shaken many young Catholics' trust in the church, if not their faith. The man who initially inspired a new 'Benedict generation' is now seen as out of touch.
Munich, Germany
The Vatican today accepted an apology from the British Foreign Office for an internal “prank” memo written by a 23-year-old diplomat that satirized Pope Benedict XVI ahead of his UK visit. Photo
British Foreign Secretary David Milliband said he was “appalled” by the leaked spoof memo written by an Oxford graduate that caused a minor media storm by suggesting the Pope open abortion clinics and bless a gay marriage while in Britain.
But beyond such juvenalia and other late-night TV humor, the global pedophile priest scandal is causing disaffection among a young generation of Catholics.
With waning trust in church institutions and a turn toward “spirituality” among Catholic youth, many German Catholics under 30 have turned away from the pope. While saying they respect Benedict’s learning, young German Catholics don’t identify with Bavarian-born Benedict or with an institution seen as closed, hierarchical, and absolute. Read more - By Robert Marquand – The Christian Science Monitor – CSMonitor
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