Last month it was reported that German publishing company Weltbild, which is 100 percent owned by the Catholic church, was profiting through the sale of erotic novels.

Now, amid the scandal, the German Catholic church has withdrawn its investment in the publishing company. It is looking for a buyer as soon as possible.

The Local reports that Weltbild initially removed some 2,500 erotic titles from its online catalogue, but the church has now decided to distance itself from the publisher completely.

However, the decision could have come sooner for some Catholics. Last month German publication Die Welt reported that some worshipers had been complaining about the church's association with the pornographic publications for over 10 years only to be ignored by bishops.