Morning Catholic must-reads: 22/09/11

In an interview on his flight to Berlin this morning the Pope acknowledged that “terrible scandals” had prompted some Germans to leave the Church.

Pope Benedict has accepted Cardinal Velasio De Paolis’s resignation as president of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See, but asked him to remain as papal delegate to the Legionaries of Christ.

Hans Küng compared Benedict XVI to Vladimir Putin in an interview on the eve of the papal visit to Germany.

Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles has hailed the “deep, abiding faith” of Dolores Hope, the late widow of Bob Hope.

A Chinese priest-doctor has warned his fellow clergy that they are at risk of heart disease and diabetes because they do not get enough exercise.

Rocco Palmo wonders if the Pope’s surprise decision to confer the pallium on Cardinal Angelo Scola yesterday is a sign that he sees the new Archbishop of Milan as his natural successor.

And Italian farmers have given Benedict XVI half a million bees for the papal farm on Castel Gandolfo.