German Catholic Church sells book company which dealt in porn

Nov 22, 2011, 12:16 GMT

Berlin - The Catholic church in Germany is to sell Weltbild, its bookselling arm, after the unit admitted last month to publishing pornographic novels, the company said Tuesday.

Weltbild is one of the Germany's main book enterprises, with annual sales of 1.6 billion euros (2.1 billion dollars) and a workforce of 6,400. Its interests include general publishing, a main national bookshop chain and book clubs.

Catholic leaders were outraged that the profitable company's book range included steamy pulp novels with titles like 'Boarding School for Sluts' and 'The Lawyer's Whore' and advice on how to practice esoteric superstitions that are condemned by Catholic doctrine.

Germany's 27 bishops met this week to press the 12 bishops who co-own Weltbild to end the investment after Weltbild had defended its commercial policy of publishing whatever books meet market demand.

Weltbild, based in the southern city of Augsburg, said it welcomed the decision to seek new ownership 'without delay.'

Pope Benedict XIV, who urged German bishops in September to get rid of worldly wealth, appeared to influence the debate, telling Catholics they should be 'energetically opposing the distribution of erotic and pornographic material.'