Berlin church spokesman says Vatican won't intervene in debt crisis

Published: 2003-11-20

WARSAW, Poland (CNS) -- A Berlin church spokesman said he does not believe the Vatican will intervene in the archdiocese's $113 million debt crisis. Cardinal Georg Sterzinsky of Berlin has admitted responsibility for the crisis, which is expected to force the closure of half the city's Catholic parishes, said Stefan Forner, archdiocesan spokesman. Forner said the cardinal "accepts he wasn't consistent and failed to act quickly enough after seeing what was happening." He added, "But I think Rome will agree it doesn't need to intervene in this way." In early November, Berlin priests and lay pastoral workers petitioned the Vatican to send an apostolic visitor to help sort out the crisis.

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