Under pressure, German bishops to announce outcome of talks

The latest in a series of conferences aimed at reforming the German Catholic Church draws to a close on Saturday, reported dpa.

It is characterized by calls for drastic change in the wake of the latest abuse scandal.

The third assembly of the Synodal Path, as the process is called, has been overshadowed by outrage after an independent report published last month detailed allegations of abuse and misconduct over decades in the archdiocese of Munich and Freising.

The claims reach as high as the Vatican, after it was revealed that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI - or Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger - had made a false statement during his time as Munich archbishop, between 1977 and 1982, regarding his involvement in reviewing the case of a priest accused of abuse.

The Synodal Path deals with four topics: the position of women in the church; positions of power; Catholic sexual morality; and priestly celibacy.

This week's assembly in Frankfurt brought together 69 bishops, 69 representatives of the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK) and 92 representatives of various Catholic professional groups.

Several draft texts were discussed, including a push to end compulsory clerical celibacy and a proposal to make all offices in the church open to women.