German bishops choose liberal Zollitsch over conservative Marx

Okay, that headline paints it very black and white, but here's the gist:

Germany's Catholic bishops elected Robert Zollitsch, 69, archbishop of Freiburg in the south-west of the country, as their new spokesman and chairman.

... The bishops passed over another, more conservative candidate, Reinhard Marx, 54, who has been freshly enthroned as archbishop of Munich.

... Observers said the choice also indicated a continued mood of independence among the 69 bishops towards Pope Benedict XVI, the German-born conservative theologian Joseph Ratzinger.

... The Vatican's response may be gauged by the time it takes to award Zollitsch a cardinal's hat. - DPA

CWNews, which normally presents salient points accurately, says:

During his tenure as chief spokesman for the German hierarchy, Cardinal Lehmann found himself in tension with the Holy See on several disputed points, such as allowing Communion for Catholics who are divorced and remarried, priestly celibacy, and the policies of church-run counseling centers regarding abortion referrals.

Just what Germany needs: dissent on marriage proscriptions, priestly celibacy, and life issues. Ouch.

Bland coverage from the AP here. Terse coverage from Zenit here. Deutsche Welle confirms DPA's take here.