Jul 6, 2019 04:20 AM
https://www.dw.com/en/german-priest-caus...a-49479695
EXCERPT: . . . Retired priest Ulrich Zurkuhlen caused consternation in the city of Münster, northwest Germany, when he dedicated his sermon to the concept of forgiving priests who had sexually abused minors. Zurkuhlen's remarks come at a difficult time for the Roman Catholic Church, as it grapples with continued allegations, from various parts of the world, of priests' predatory conduct and church attempts to cover it up.
[...] In an interview with Kirche-und-Leben.de, Zurkuhlen griped about the fact that even bishops refer to predator priests as "criminals," despite the fact that these men were also good clerics in their communities. "Nobody is just profoundly evil," the priest said. "Goodness and guilt are often combined with each other or stand side by side without touching," he added. Zurkuhlen insisted that it was "time for the church hierarchy to say a word of forgiveness after a long time."
When asked about the reaction his sermon caused among worshippers, Zurkuhlen said that it was "a real shock." He lamented that he was unable to get his point across, especially the biblically important meaning of forgiveness, to what he called "the screaming mob." (MORE)
EXCERPT: . . . Retired priest Ulrich Zurkuhlen caused consternation in the city of Münster, northwest Germany, when he dedicated his sermon to the concept of forgiving priests who had sexually abused minors. Zurkuhlen's remarks come at a difficult time for the Roman Catholic Church, as it grapples with continued allegations, from various parts of the world, of priests' predatory conduct and church attempts to cover it up.
[...] In an interview with Kirche-und-Leben.de, Zurkuhlen griped about the fact that even bishops refer to predator priests as "criminals," despite the fact that these men were also good clerics in their communities. "Nobody is just profoundly evil," the priest said. "Goodness and guilt are often combined with each other or stand side by side without touching," he added. Zurkuhlen insisted that it was "time for the church hierarchy to say a word of forgiveness after a long time."
When asked about the reaction his sermon caused among worshippers, Zurkuhlen said that it was "a real shock." He lamented that he was unable to get his point across, especially the biblically important meaning of forgiveness, to what he called "the screaming mob." (MORE)
