By IRNA
Berlin : Germany's opposition Green (Gruene) party strongly criticized Pope Benedict XVI for supporting the worldwide civilian use of nuclear energy.
Green party chief Reinhard Buetikofer was quoted as saying ironically that the head of the Catholic church should be "promptly named the atomic policy advisor of the federal (German) government".
He added that the pope has discovered something that
contemporaries with "less metaphysical capabilities have so far searched in vain, namely the alleged peaceful and secure use of atomic power".
Addressing a crowd gathered at his summer residence outside Rome on Sunday, the pope said he favored "the peaceful and assured use of nuclear technology for real development, respectful of the environment and always mindful of the most disadvantaged populations".
The Green party is adamantly opposed to nuclear energy and has played a crucial role in pushing for a gradual phase-out of German atomic power by the year 2021.
Although one-third of Germany's 17 nuclear power plants have been shut down because of technical problems and repair work, atomic energy accounts still for 26 percent of all energy consumption in the country.
German nuclear power plants generated 167.4 billion kilowatt hours of electricity last year, compared to around 163 billion kilowatt hours in 2005.