Head of German Bishops Conference Admits Clerics Neglected Victims to Protect Church/Vatican Still Defensive

"While Cantalamessa delivered his ringing defense of the pontiff, the church in Benedict's native Germany made the unusually frank admission that it failed to help victims of clerical abuse because it wanted to protect its reputation."

"Archbishop Robert Zollitsch, head of the German bishops' conference, said clerics neglected helping victims because of a "wrongly intended desire to protect the church's reputation."

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_CHURCH_ABUSE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2010-04-02-10-53-07

<strong>The Vatican needs to end its denials, tell the truth, open up its records, remove the bishops who kept pedophiles in ministry, (stop promoting them like Cardinal Law) and chart a new path toward a more open, accountable, church with standards of accountability for all including the Pope and bishops. An independent truth commission that would deal with the sex abuse crisis -its causes and remedies is now necessary. The German bishops have taken a step in the right direction in admitting that there is a problem. The Vatican should do likewise. It is the first step toward healing.
Bridget Mary Meehan