Dean's council on the abuse report: "Silence is no longer possible"

Created: 01/21/2022, 06:00

By: Uta Künkler

(Jointly) guilty?

Munich Bishop Reinhard Marx and then Pope Benedict, here at Marx's appointment as cardinal in September 2013 in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

Marx's resignation "not expedient" Pastors keep a low profile © Jörg Koch/dapd

The new report on cases of sexual abuse deals with a dark chapter of the Catholic Church.

While the Erdinger Dean's Council welcomed the report, the pastors in the district kept silent on the day of the presentation.

That's for a reason.

District

– The Munich lawyer Martin Pusch spoke of a “balance sheet of terror” yesterday at the press conference on the new abuse report in the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising. The allegations against leaders of the Catholic Church are also relevant for the district of Erding. But the local clergy kept silent about it yesterday. The reason was an order from the Ordinariate. But more on that later.

The long-awaited abuse report by the law firm Westpfahl Spilker Wastl (WSW) reinforces the allegations made in the past against those responsible in the Catholic Church in dealing with cases of sexualized violence. Among other things, it incriminated the then Cardinal Ratzinger and later Pope Benedict XVI. heavy. The incumbent Archbishop Reinhard Marx is also accused of misconduct. The experts criticize the handling of the two and other high-ranking clerics with suspected cases and their inaction, which ultimately made the extensive cover-up possible. Marx himself stayed away from the presentation of the report, although he was invited. The experts publicly criticized this. Cases of sexual abuse since the post-war period were examined.

In the district of Erding, clerics and committed Catholics looked at the publication of the report in Munich yesterday. dr Jörg Basten, as chairman of the Erding Deanery Council and vice-chairman of the district Catholic Council, is the representative of the lay faithful in the Catholic Church in the Erding district. As such, he is "of course very interested in things getting on the table," says the Wartenberger. "Hushing up is no longer possible."

It is unimaginable how very high church dignitaries have failed in the abuse affair. "That can't be sugarcoated." However, Basten does not believe that Cardinal Marx's resignation would be expedient. “It should solve the problems that present and future bring. You can't just run away," he says. Pope Francis used similar words to justify his rejection of Cardinal Marx's resignation last year.

Basten explains that things that have happened can no longer be undone. But every review like the current report helps to clarify and make things better in the future. "From my point of view, that also happened," emphasizes Basten, alluding to an amendment to the guidelines of the Catholic Church from 2012, which is intended to prevent sexual abuse. Today, Catholics could have the feeling "that our children and young people are safe and in good hands in the church institutions," says Basten. Thank God "as far as I know, no cases of sexual abuse have become known" in the district of Erding.

The abuse scandal not only scratched the credibility, but also the self-confidence of the Catholic Church. This can be seen from the fact that the pastors of the archdiocese of Munich and Freising had received an order from the archbishop's ordinariate in anticipation of the publication of the new report. It says: "For press inquiries, it is important to ensure that no statements, comments, assessments, etc. are given to media representatives on the report." Our newspaper contacted several priests in the district. They adhered to the announcement from the professorship and were not prepared to comment on the report.

Erding's parish priest Martin Garmaier and Father Paul from Taufkirchen pointed out that at least a detailed review is fundamentally necessary, regardless of the content of the report.

"Reappraisal will bring the Church to its knees, but it will also purify it," said Pawel Kruczek.

And Garmaier emphasized: “You have to approach it as offensively and honestly as possible.

The cover-up tactics are rightly criticized.

Serious mistakes have been made, although abuse is not unique to the church.”