Deutsche Welle: Pope remains philosophical in historic speech to German parliament

Deutsche Welle files its report on Pope Benedict's speech before German lawmakers:

Pope Benedict XVI has become the first ever pope to address the lower house of parliament in Berlin - but about dozens of lawmakers boycotted his speech on Thursday and instead joined around 20,000 protesters in Potsdamer Platz in the center of the city, organized by gay rights campaigners and feminist groups.

The pope defended his presence in the parliament, telling the Bundestag he was speaking not as a German but as a member of the international community.

[. . .]

Up to 100 of the 620 members of parliament did not attend the address, saying they objected to Catholic teachings on sexual ethics or considered that the invitation violates the principle of separating church and state. They were largely from the opposition Social Democrats, the Greens and the Left Party.

"The pope can celebrate Mass wherever he wants - in a field, a church or the Olympic Stadium. But he should not speak in the Bundestag," said Hans-Christian Ströbele of the Greens. He left the chamber during the speech.

Benedict's speech to the Bundestag was mainly a philosophical attack on the idea that religion has no place in ethics and politics. He made no mention of the current euro debt crisis or other pressing political issues.

The former theology professor denounced science without religion as "positivism" and said this positivism "diminishes man."

"There is also an ecology of man. Man too has a nature that he must respect and that he cannot manipulate at will. Man is not merely self-creating freedom. Man does not create himself," the pope said.

Police were enforcing a lockdown near the parliament building, as well as in the largely Muslim neighborhood around the apostolic nunciature, the Vatican embassy, where he will spend the night. Snipers had taken up posts on nearby rooves.