Cardinal Reinhard Marx remains in office even after the presentation of the critical abuse report on the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising. At the same time he once again apologized to those affected and to believers and called for a renewal of the church. “We see a disaster,” said the German archbishop on Thursday in Munich, referring to the report on the sexual abuse of children and young people in the archdiocese presented a week ago.
Those responsible should examine their own guilt
“Anyone who still denies systemic causes and opposes a necessary reform of the church in attitudes and structures has not understood the challenge.” Initially, Marx did not draw personal conclusions. Everyone responsible should check for themselves where they are guilty and what consequences they have to draw from it, he said. Prelate Lorenz Wolf, chairman of the ecclesiastical court (official) of the archdiocese, who is heavily criticized in the report, informed him that he would let all offices and tasks rest. He accepted this.
The broadcasting council of the Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR) confirmed on request that Wolf would let his office as chairman of the committee rest. Until further notice, he handed over the management of the Broadcasting Council to his deputy on the supervisory body of the public broadcaster, Godehard Ruppert.
Marx himself is accused of misconduct
The experts also accuse Archbishop Marx himself of two cases of misconduct in dealing with suspected cases. Marx said he accused himself of being more committed and not actively approaching those affected in one case. It was unforgivable for him personally to have overlooked those affected. “I was and am not indifferent.” Marx did not, however, offer Pope Francis his resignation a second time, as some expected, but emphasized: “I am not clinging to my office.”
reforms are essential
However, reforms are essential for him, Marx emphasized: “There is no future for Christianity in our country without a renewed church!” After reading the report, he was again shocked and shocked, above all by the suffering of those affected, but also by the perpetrators and accused and the behavior of those responsible. “For me, dealing with sexual abuse is part of a comprehensive renewal and reform, as the Synodal Path has taken up.”
Abuse not adequately addressed for decades
The report commissioned by the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising itself and commissioned by the law firm Westpfahl Spilker Wastl (WSW) came to the conclusion that cases of sexual abuse in the diocese had not been dealt with appropriately for decades. It also accuses the former archbishops Friedrich Wetter and Joseph Ratzinger, who is now Pope Benedict XVI, of specific and personal misconduct in several cases. Overall, the experts speak of at least 497 victims and 235 alleged perpetrators, but they assume a much larger number of unreported cases.
Cardinal Marx did not take part in the presentation of the report last week, which was criticized by representatives of the law firm. Marx said on Thursday that he regretted that his absence had “hurt the feelings of those affected”. “It has nothing to do with a lack of respect for those affected. (…) I wanted to give the report the space it deserved and therefore decided against participating.”
Marx wanted the false testimony of the former Pope Benedict XVI. not comment on his dealings with an abusive priest. “I accept that he interprets the facts differently here, that he regrets it, and I think he will then comment on it again as a whole. That would also be good, I would welcome that,” said the Archbishop. He answered other questions about his predecessor evasively and pointed out that he had not yet worked through the report.
Benedikt had corrected himself on Monday in one essential point. Contrary to what was stated in his 82-page statement on the Munich report, he said he attended an important meeting. The meeting dealt with, among other things, the priest Peter H. of the diocese of Essen, who was sent to Munich for therapy in 1980 and was immediately reinstated there in pastoral care. According to numerous victims, he committed further acts of abuse there. According to Benedikt’s private secretary Georg Gänswein, the incorrect information was due to a technical error. The self-correction had attracted international attention. At the presentation, the experts had submitted minutes of the meeting, which proved that Ratzinger, contrary to his own testimony, had been present.
Source: Nachrichten
