Emeritus Pope Benedict changes version in abuse case

(ANSA) - ROME, JAN 24 - Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has "corrected" his version of events regarding one of the sexual-abuse cases that he was criticised for in a report released in Germany last week, the German-language version of Vatican News said on Monday The report on sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising concluded that the former pontiff failed to take action in four cases when he was Archbishop of Munich between 1977 and 1982.
    One of those cases regarded a priest who was put into service in the Munich archdiocese even though he was known to be a paedophile.
    The pope had told lawyers that prepared the report that he was not at a meeting in January 1980 when the transfer of the priest to Munich was discussed.
    But the 94-year-old has admitted that he was at the meeting, according to a report by Catholic agency KNA picked up by the German-language version of Vatican News.
    The former pope said the mistake "was not committed in bad faith" but was "the result of an error in the editorial drafting" of his statements, according to the report.
    He is "very sorry" about this and apologizes, the report said.
    Benedict has lived inside the Vatican since resigning as pope in 2013. (ANSA).