Pope Francis, who has encouraged Catholics to go to confession, recently reiterated his call for German Catholics to remember “the importance of prayer, penance and adoration.”
In the interview, Egloff also noted that celibacy and abuse have nothing to do with each other: “It’s more because unsuitable candidates were accepted due to the shortage of priests. “Pedophilia is a serious disorder and an atrocity.”
When asked if at the age of 20 you can already know if you can spend your entire life celibate, the Franciscan responded: “You already know. You know if you’ve had relationships, if you crave a partnership or not. You have to deal with these problems. This probably wasn’t discussed enough (in the past). “For me it was always important to help the respective priests and candidates for the priesthood and, if necessary, advise them against it.”
Translated and adapted by ACI Prensa. Originally published in CNA Deustch.