Pope: Nazis show danger of abuse of power

BERLIN - Pope Benedict XVI told the German parliament on Thursday that politicians must not sacrifice ethics for power, evoking the Nazi excesses of his homeland as a lesson in history.

Amid scattered protests outside and a boycott by some lawmakers, Benedict began his first state visit to Germany in a bid to stem the tide of Catholics leaving the church while acknowledging the damage caused by the clerical sex abuse scandal.

The pope spoke for 20 minutes in the historic Reichstag parliament building, which was torched in 1933 in an incident used by Hitler to strengthen his grip on power.

"We Germans know from our own experience" what happens when power is corrupted, Benedict said, describing Nazis as a "highly organized band of robbers, capable of threatening the whole world and driving it to the edge of the abyss."

But he said that even under the Nazi dictatorship resistance movements stuck to their beliefs at a great risk, "thereby doing a great service to justice and to humanity as a whole."

"Even today, there is ultimately nothing else we could wish for but a listening heart — the capacity to discern between good and evil, and thus to establish true law, to serve justice and peace," he said.

Benedict, who has long favored environmental causes, voiced strong support for Germany's ecological movement, calling it "a cry for fresh air which must not be ignored or pushed aside."

About 100 lawmakers from opposition parties boycotted the pope's appearance, claiming it violated the church-state separation. But Benedict looked out on a mostly full house as guests occupied the empty seats and finished his speech to a standing ovation.

Police that estimated only "several thousand" protesters ended up showing up at the capital's Potsdamer Platz, far fewer than organizers had predicted. Some 6,000 officers were on hand throughout the city and there were no reports of any incidents.

In the rally during the pope's speech, protesters held signs with slogans like "not welcome" and "where there's enlightenment, there's future."

Earlier, Pope Benedict also warned Germans of the danger of ignoring religion.

"We are witnessing a growing indifference to religion in society," he said at a formal welcoming ceremony at the German president's Bellevue palace, touching on a major theme of his papacy.

He called religion a foundation for a successful society and said its values were essential for freedom.

Benedict said the presidential palace, which was destroyed in World War II, was a reminder of German history.

"A clear look at the past, even at its dark pages, enables us to learn from it and to receive an impetus for the present," the pope said.

The Bavarian-born pontiff was met on a red carpet at Berlin's Tegel airport by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Christian Wulff at the start of his four-day visit. Howitzers fired a ceremonial salute as the pope stepped off his plane, and Eurofighter jet escorts flew overhead.

Merkel introduced the pope to members of her Cabinet. He then greeted members of the German Catholic Church and children who stood waiting for him with small yellow-and-white Vatican flags and presented him with a bouquet.

Benedict blessed the children before moving on, accompanied by Merkel and President Wulff to his car.

More than 250,000 people are registered attend his Masses, many at an open-air service Thursday night in Berlin's Olympic Stadium.

A tiny group of about 20 protesters stood outside the airport, holding banners with slogans like "against anti-Semitism, sexism and homophobia" and "my body, my choice."

The Vatican's views on contraception, the role of women, homosexuality and its handling of the sexual abuse scandal that rocked Germany last year are seen by many in Germany as outdated and out-of-touch.

On the plane, the pope told reporters that he found demonstrations were acceptable as long as they remained civil.

They are "normal in a free society and in the secularized world," he said.

The pope plans meetings with leaders of Germany's Jewish and Muslim communities, three Masses, an ecumenical service with Lutheran church members and possibly meetings with victims abused by priests. Benedict was not expected to meet with German dissidents who have called for such changes as allowing women priests and ending mandatory celibacy for priests.

He told reporters on the plane that there needs to be an examination of why people have been leaving the church recently, and the part that the abuse scandals played in the phenomenon.

"I can understand that some people have been scandalized by the crimes that have been revealed in recent times," he said. There both "good and bad fish in the Lord's net" and Catholics have to live with scandal, he said.

The German president, himself Catholic, warmly welcomed the pope and praised the role played by the Church in supporting German reunification more than 20 years ago. But, at the same time, Wulff clearly expressed understanding for the many Germans who can no longer relate to a church.

"It is important for the Church to remain close to the people and not to turn inward on itself," Wulff said.

The president also broached a personal issue, that as a remarried divorcee, he is not allowed to accept communion.

"Many ask themselves how mercifully it treats people who have suffered breakups in their own lives," Wulff said.

Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said the president's remarks were "beautiful and very sincere," calling them a fair summation of the problems facing the church in Germany.