Fr. Lombardi issues statement on New York Times article

Holy See Press Office Director Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J., questioned by journalists

concerning a new New York Times article, which appeared on 26 March and concerns the period

in which Cardinal Ratzinger was archbishop of Munich, referred them to this morning's public

denial in a communique published by the archdiocese of Munich, which reads:

"The article in the New York Times contains no new information beyond that which the

archdiocese has already communicated concerning the then archbishop's knowledge of the

situation of Father H."

Thus the archdiocese confirms the position, according to which the then archbishop had no

knowledge of the decision to reassign Father H. to pastoral activities in a parish.

It rejects any other version of events as mere speculation.

The then vicar general, Msgr. Gerhard Gruber, has assumed full responsibility for his own

erroneous decision to reassign Father H. to pastoral activity