Enlarge image
After the end of his leave of absence in March, Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki from Cologne faces a “probationary period”
Photo: OLIVER BERG / AFP
A German child protection officer of the Vatican has criticized the processing of sexual abuse under the Archbishop of Cologne Rainer Maria Woelki.
In many parts it did not go well, said the German Father Hans Zollner to the Nürnberger Nachrichten.
"Even the Bishops' Conference recognized that what happened in Cologne was communicated in an absolutely chaotic manner."
Zollner is a member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors and heads the Center for Child Protection (CCP) in Rome.
"Legal justification alone cannot be the norm for us"
What Woelki is legally responsible for is not enough to demand a resignation.
"That's not just saying canon law experts, but also critics," said Zollner.
»But: A legal justification alone cannot be the standard for us.
We also have to orientate ourselves towards the church's self-image. It is not only legal criteria that are important, but also moral and spiritual responsibility. "
"Wherever it can be determined that those responsible for the leadership, pastors and priests have abused and not punished for it or have only been transferred, there must be consequences - also for hushers," said Zollner.
Woelki refused to publish reports
The trigger for the crisis in the Archdiocese of Cologne was originally Woelki's refusal to publish a report commissioned by himself on how those responsible for the diocese deal with allegations of abuse.
He gave legal reasons for this.
In the course of the resulting dispute, the cardinal and the most important bodies of the archdiocese became increasingly estranged from one another.
The relationship is now considered broken.
Woelki is currently on a »break«, which should last until the beginning of March.
When Woelki returns, he will first go through a "probationary period".
Only then will it be clear what opportunities the people of Woelki will give, the diocese administrator of the Archdiocese of Cologne, Rolf Steinhäuser, had last said and announced "clear, unadorned feedback" to the Vatican.
The report could well state that he does not see a common future for Woelki in the archbishopric, said Steinhäuser.
fek / dpa
