The Roman Catholic archdiocese of Cologne, Germany has held a service of penance for circumstances of sexual abuse by clergy
COLOGNE, Germany — The Roman Catholic archdiocese of Cologne, Germany held a service of penance Thursday for circumstances of sexual abuse by clergy, saying the ritual was not an absolution for the perpetrators however a “confession of guilt.”
The German Catholic Church’s dealing with of sexual abuse experiences has brought on a large disaster in Cologne, the place the archbishop, Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, has taken a “non secular timeout” on the recommendation of Pope Francis.
The archdiocese’s interim administrator, Auxiliary Bishop Rolf Steinhaeuser, led Thursday’s service.
“Numerous crimes of sexualized violence in opposition to wards have been dedicated by clergymen and different church staff of our diocese,” Steinhaeuser stated throughout the service held at Cologne Cathedral.
The auxiliary bishop stated that as the present head of the archdiocese, he’s the “head of the perpetrator group of the Archdiocese of Cologne,” German information company dpa reported.
“This service doesn’t finish with forgiveness,” Steinhaeuser stated. “We can’t absolve ourselves. Nor can we ask forgiveness from these affected to make ourselves really feel higher.” Relatively, he stated, the service was meant as a ”confession of guilt, remembrance of these affected, intercession.”
Woelki, the Cologne archbishop, has turn into a deeply divisive determine within the German church.
In September, Pope Francis determined to go away Woelki in workplace regardless of huge criticism over his dealing with of the church’s sexual abuse scandal. The pontiff as an alternative gave the cardinal a “non secular timeout” of a number of months after he made “main errors” of communication. The break runs from mid-October to the start of March.
A report commissioned by Woelki and issued in March discovered 75 circumstances during which eight high-ranking officers – together with his late predecessor – uncared for their duties to both observe up on, report or sanction circumstances of alleged abuse by clergy and lay church staff, and did not handle the victims.
Hamburg Archbishop Stefan Hesse, beforehand a senior church official in Cologne, was faulted for 11 circumstances of neglecting his responsibility. Hesse provided his resignation to Francis, who rejected it final week.
The report absolved Woelki himself of any neglect of his authorized duties with respect to abuse victims. He subsequently stated he made errors in previous circumstances involving sexual abuse allegations however made clear he had no intention of resigning.
Woelki beforehand infuriated many native Catholics by citing authorized issues to maintain beneath wraps a primary report on how native church officers reacted when clergymen have been accused of sexual abuse. He commissioned the second report, and a German regulation agency produced an 800-page investigation.
Karl Haucke, 71, who was sexually abused for a number of years at a Catholic boarding college, was not impressed by the church’s service of penance. Haucke protested outdoors Cologne Cathedral with a number of different individuals Thursday.
He stated the church had invited him to take part within the service however he refused to attend.
“It’s inhumane to deal with me with the declare of repentance,” Haucke informed The Related Press. “After all, I’ve the selection to go there or not, however simply addressing the subject can drive individuals again to their reminiscences. It’s not the church’s place to do this.”
Haucke advised it might have made extra sense to supply the victims an area for an actual investigation into the abuse.
“Another would have been for individuals who don’t wish to act in accordance with the rituals of the church, to supply a distinct area at this memorial event,” he stated. “A impartial area the place it’s not about repentance and prayer, however about critical interplay, investigation and coming to phrases.”
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Kirsten Grieshaber reported from Berlin.
