The city council is to discuss whether the pope emeritus is still worthy of this municipal award. Other cities have also questioned this since the abuse report was published.
In Regensburg, a debate is unfolding as to whether the city should belong to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. to revoke honorary citizenship. This is reported by Bayerischer Rundfunk, citing Mayor Gertrud Maltz-Schwarzfischer (SPD) and other members of the city council. The city must deal with this question, Malz-Schwarzfischer is quoted as saying. The Greens also said that in the light of the findings, one had to check whether a bearer of a municipal award was still worthy of it.
Benedict XVI has been an honorary citizen of Regensburg since his visit in 2006. The former archbishop of Munich and Freising has been exposed to severe criticism since the publication of the Munich report on the abuse of children and young people.
Benedikt had recently admitted that he had given false information in connection with the report. It was about the decision on how to deal with the perpetrator, a pastor, in a specific case of abuse. The man continued to be employed in pastoral care in Ratzinger’s area of responsibility.
Regensburg is not the only city in which the consequences for the retired Pope are being considered. In Freising, too, there is now a discussion as to whether Benedict should remain an honorary citizen.