Embracing Card. Lehmann Cordially
Sept 15, 2004
During the ceremony in St Peter’s Square, it was noticeable how cordially Cardinal Sodano, Secretary of State, embraced Lehmann at the kiss of peace, whereas Ratzinger’s congratulation was monosyllabic.
(The Tablet April 28 2001) Sodano had originally supported Lehmann’s position in the controversy over whether the Catholic Church in Germany should continue to provide some of the pregnancy counselling centres there, as Lehmann desired.
The question was whether the Church was colluding in abortion by issuing certificates confirming that pregnant women in distress had been given counselling, if these were then used to secure a termination.
It had been Sodano’s opinion that such matters could be decided by the local bishops’ conferences, but eventually he was forced to sign a decree together with Ratzinger which compelled the German Catholic bishops to pull out.
Embracing Card. Lehmann Cordially