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Cardinal Woelki in October before Pope Francis' weekly audience at the Vatican
Photo:
Alessandra Tarantino/AP
Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki is highly controversial in the Archdiocese of Cologne.
Critics accuse the clergyman of having obstructed the processing of the abuse scandal in the archdiocese.
Most recently, members of the Independent Review Commission (UAK) resigned their posts - and also referred to a conversation with Woelki that left a "massive disturbing feeling".
Woelki now admits to having made mistakes in the past.
"I should have communicated differently, especially with those affected," said the archbishop of the "Rheinische Post".
At the same time, however, he put the incidents of sexual abuse within the church into perspective.
Woelki said he didn't want to describe the church as a "perpetrator organization."
Rather, the church is "an organization in which there are perpetrators," just as the state is an organization in which there are perpetrators.
»There was never a lack of will to enlightenment«
Woelki rejected accusations that attempts at enlightenment within the church had been sabotaged: "There was never a lack of will to enlighten." Rather, he himself was "one of the first to initiate the process of coming to terms with it."
At the same time, in the crisis in the archdiocese that has been going on for years, he "never felt so powerless."
Woelki had offered Pope Francis his resignation in March after massive protests within his archdiocese.
A decision is still pending.
Woelki now said that he had “no hints in one direction or the other” about a final word of power from Francis.
Apparently, the Pope does not want to decide under pressure about Woelki's resignation
He spoke about the resignation with the Pope both during the altar boy pilgrimage, on the fringes of the general audience and at the consistory.
The pontifex told him that he could not and would not decide in a situation of dispute and unrest.
"If the Pope has more to say to me, he will," said Woelki.
Woelki had lost support within his archdiocese in recent years after various scandals.
He had been accused of using a PR agency to instrumentalize the advisory board for those affected by sexual abuse.
As a result, delegates, for example, announced a boycott of the most important body in the archdiocese, the diocesan pastoral council.
According to a representative, the mood within the archdiocese is “on a new, absolute low point”.
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