Benedict defends himself: Statement outraged abuse victims – "I lack the words"

Created: 2022-02-09 08:03

By: Claudia Möllers

Pope Emeritus Benedict has taken a stand in the abuse scandal.

© picture alliance/dpa |

Daniel Karman

Emeritus Pope Benedict made a surprising statement about the cover-up allegations in the abuse scandal.

A victim struggles for words.

Munich/Vatican City – The letter from Benedict XVI.* came as a surprise.

On Tuesday (February 8) at 1 p.m. sharp, the good two-page letter including a three-page "fact check" - even in Arabic - on the abuse report of the Munich Archdiocese was published.

19 days after the report shook the Catholic Church to its foundations, in which errors were found in the answers given by the former Munich Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger to the experts' questions.

The core issue is still the question of whether Cardinal Ratzinger knew about the allegations of abuse against Pastor Peter H.*, who comes from the diocese of Essen, when he was employed in pastoral care in the Archdiocese of Munich.

"The report contains no evidence of an allegation of misconduct or assistance in a cover-up," says the fact check categorically: "As archbishop, Cardinal Ratzinger was not involved in a cover-up of acts of abuse."

Abuse scandal: Emeritus Pope Benedict writes a letter to the "dear sisters and brothers"

Pope Emeritus Benedict* writes in his letter to the “dear sisters and brothers” of deep shame and sincere apologies to all victims of sexual abuse.

But the very structure of the letter makes those affected doubt that the Pope Emeritus is prepared to take personal responsibility.

The almost 95-year-old begins with a detailed thank you for the many signs of trust, encouragement and friendship that he has recently experienced.

He expressly thanks the “small group of friends” who wrote the 82-page statement for the Westpfahl Spilker Wastl law firm.

These are three canon lawyers and a lawyer for the right to freedom of speech from the Cologne law firm Höcker.

Alone, he emphasizes, he could not have written the statement.

In view of the 8,000 pages of file documentation and almost 2,000 pages of reports, this is certainly understandable.

Benedikt comments on the abuse scandal: "Accidentally undermined"

But these consultants, as Benedikt explains, made a mistake.

Namely - as mentioned in the fact check - by the canon lawyer Dr.

Stefan Korta.

Korta should be particularly familiar with the documents.

After all, he was the closest collaborator of Prelate Lorenz Wolf in the official office, the Munich church court, and later as head of department in the ordinariate also responsible for canon law.

According to Benedict, this man of all people, who now runs a law firm for canon law, made an “unnoticed transmission error”.

He erroneously recorded that Joseph Ratzinger was absent from the Ordinariate meeting on January 15, 1980.

Benedict XVI

I did not recognize this error due to the high time pressure.

The report then showed that Cardinal Ratzinger had indeed taken part in the meeting in question.

Abuse in the Catholic Church: Pope Benedict is deeply hurt by the allegations

The former Pope not only energetically rejects the resulting allegations that Benedict has been confronted with since then*, he is also deeply hurt.

"That the mistake was used to doubt my truthfulness, yes, to portray myself as a liar, struck me deeply." people” would have moved.

He expressly mentions the personal support of Pope Francis.

Abuse victim Richard Kick is stunned by Pope Benedict's letter.

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Benedict does not bring himself to make a general confession of guilt.

But he also adds, "No matter how much guilt I have today, the Lord will forgive me if I honestly let Him see through me and truly am willing to change myself."

Benedikt concludes by saying that he will soon face the "final judge of my life".

Even if, looking back on his long life, he has many reasons to be alarmed and afraid, "I am nevertheless of good courage": He can trust in the Lord as a just judge, who is also his friend and advocate.

Statement from Benedikt: Abuse victim Richard Kick is struggling for words

Prevention expert Father Hans Zollner sees the letter from the Pope Emeritus as a reflection of how he deals with the issue of abuse.

"I notice that he first thanks his friends and then those affected come," said Zollner in Rome.

Benedict spans a large theological framework without going into details.

Zollner is an external advisor to the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.

Richard Kick, abuse victim from Eichenau* (district of Fürstenfeldbruck), meanwhile struggles for words.

"It can't be true," he exclaims after reading the letter.

He is appalled that Benedict has so little in view of those affected, the bad deeds and the systemic causes of the cover-up.

"I'm at a loss for words in the face of this self-adulation."

Abuse scandal: Pope's statement "a mockery in the ears of those affected"

Benedict writes above all about his dismay at being accused of lying.

The letter was "a mockery in the ears of those affected".

Even if Benedict had no detailed knowledge of the past history of Pastor H. and other cases, "as archbishop he ultimately bears the responsibility".

In addition, he could have taken care of the cases later as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith or as pope.

"It would have been better if he had remained silent after the 82-page statement." It is now clear to those affected that they are on their own.

They now want to make "clear demands" on the addressees in the next few weeks.

Cardinal Reinhard Marx will also be among the addressees.

In the afternoon he welcomed Benedikt's letter.

And added that as a cardinal, he takes the report, which also deals with personal and institutional responsibility, very seriously.

Words that are not found in Benedikt's letter.

The reform movement "We are Church" emphasizes: "Ratzinger still sees himself as a victim who was drawn into excessive guilt."