Clear words in the service: "It is time to repent"

Created: 01/25/2022, 09:50 am

By: Jonas Napiletzki, Dieter Dorby

According to parish vicar Michael Engel (at the altar), the Catholic Church has “a great burden”.

Yesterday in Miesbach's parish church he prayed that "all those responsible will be held accountable".

© Max Kalup

Pastors were not allowed to comment on the abuse report to the press – but they were to the parish.

How did they take up the issue in front of the faithful?

We attended two services on Sunday.

Miesbach/Irschenberg – In the Miesbach town parish church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary it was dead quiet on Sunday when parish vicar Michael Engel welcomed the faithful and also addressed the recently published abuse report (we reported).

For most of the 40 or so participants in the service, it must have been the first words they heard on this subject in their parish.

And they sat.

"Dear sisters and brothers, since the reports about the abuse cases became known last Thursday, we have had a particularly heavy burden," said Engel.

And: "Let's pray that everyone responsible will be held accountable." From the point of view of churchgoer Erhard Pohl, a good start: "The pointer was clearly in the direction of Rome."

Criticism from the CSU city council

But: "After that, the ceremony was carried out stiffly," criticized the CSU city council.

Not a word was said in the sermon on the report.

"That was exactly what the church is accused of: this silence." Pohl confessed: "After the sermon I wanted to leave the service." But then the intercession "triggered the tide," he said.

prayers for the victims

They were initially aimed at "all victims of sexual abuse".

Then to the perpetrators - "those who have become guilty".

They should experience “insight and help on the way to repentance and repentance”.

The third intercession was addressed to all bishops and Pope Francis: “Give them the courage to enlighten”;

everything should be disclosed.

The fourth and fifth parts were addressed to all children, whom people should treat kindly and - finally - to the community itself: "Give us vigilance and an eye for sexual abuse." And: "Give us the courage to admit wrongdoing to name."

hold perpetrators accountable

The subject of abuse was also addressed in the service in Irschenberg on Sunday.

Pastor Tadeusz Kmiec-Forstner clearly sided with the victims.

"It is time to repent," he said at the end of the Mass.

The point is to hold those responsible before the appropriate committees and authorities who have sinned so seriously.

The subject concerns the believers, "and many have asked me how I feel about it.

I have a clear opinion on that.”

Also read:

This is how pastors in the district of Miesbach react

During the prayers of intercession, the priest noted that one should pray for the victims to receive the help they need.

At the end of the Sunday service, Pastor Tadeusz also emphasized that the most important thing is to help the victims.

The issue is not settled by paying a certain amount.

A cleansing should not be associated with such a payment.

The responsibility for the entire community is clear: "Children must be protected - in everyday life and in the church."

nap/ddy