Rome, Italy, Mar 1, 2010 / 11:07 am
At the conclusion of their plenary assembly, the Bishops’ Conference of Germany issued a statement regarding the “cases of sexual abuse by clergy members during the 1970s and 80s.” They noted that “priestly celibacy, as experts have confirmed, is not the cause of these acts of sexual abuse.”
In a statement published by L’Osservatore Romano the bishops explained, “A life of celibacy can only be assumed by someone who possesses the essential emotional maturity.” The prelates went on to note the necessity that future priests receive life-lasting, “attentive and rigorous” formation.
During their assembly, the bishops also decided to develop new strategies for confronting the crisis of vocations, because, they explained, the problem of sexual abuse may have had its origin in “the quality of seminarians,” who then went on to become priests.
“We German bishops accept our responsibility and condemn the abuse committed by the priests, religious and lay people of our dioceses,” they wrote. “Mortified and shocked, we ask all the victims of these terrible acts for their forgiveness. Our desire is for there to be sincere clarity, without false expectations, even if the acts took place many years ago.”