Church abuse: Pope was sent memo on transfer of paedophile priest

The future Pope Benedict XVI was kept more closely apprised of a sexual abuse case in Germany than previous Church statements have suggested....

The future Pope Benedict XVI was kept more closely apprised of a sexual abuse case in Germany than previous Church statements have suggested,raising fresh questions about his handling of a scandal unfolding under his direct supervision before he rose to the top of the Churchs hierarchy.

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger,Archbishop in Munich at the time,was copied on a memo that informed him that the Rev Peter Hullermann,whom he had approved sending to therapy in 1980 to overcome paedophilia,would be returned to pastoral work within days of beginning psychiatric treatment. The priest was later convicted of molesting boys in another parish.

An initial statement on the matter issued earlier this month by the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising placed full responsibility for the decision to allow the priest to resume his duties on Cardinal Ratzingers deputy,the Rev Gerhard Gruber. But the memo,whose existence was confirmed by two Church officials,shows that the future Pope not only led a meeting on January 15,1980,approving the transfer of the priest,but was also kept informed about the priests reassignment.

What part he played in the decision making,and how much interest he showed in the case of the troubled priest,who had molested multiple boys in his previous job,remains unclear. But the personnel chief who handled the matter from the beginning,the Rev Friedrich Fahr,always remained personally,exceptionally connected to Cardinal Ratzinger,the Church said.

Church officials defend the Pope saying the memo was routine and was unlikely to have landed on the Archbishops desk, according to the Rev Lorenz Wolf,judicial vicar at the Munich Archdiocese.