Frankfurt (Germany), 21 July (LaPresse) – In Germany, victims of abuse by Catholic clergy have filed a complaint with the Vatican against Cologne Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, calling for the opening of canonical proceedings. According to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, the complaint, sent to the Pope and presented through Bishop Stephan Ackermann, accuses Woelki of breach of official duties and false testimony in connection with a public prosecutor's investigation. According to the Advisory Council for Victims of the German Bishops' Conference, the archbishop mishandled reports of abuse and failed to take action against those responsible, causing further pain to the victims. The Council believes that, under Woelki's leadership, it is not possible to conduct impartial investigations into abuse. The complaint is based on canon law, arguing that the violations found by the public prosecutor's office constitute a failure to fulfil ecclesiastical duties. In response, the Archdiocese of Cologne has called the allegations unfounded and based on errors, emphasising that the legal proceedings against the cardinal have been closed and that no false testimony has been proven. Furthermore, it clarified that the investigation did not concern the handling of abuse or the reporting of those responsible, and therefore considered the canon law invoked to be inapplicable.
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