The Archdiocese of Colonia (Germany) has described as unfounded a canonical complaint filed against Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki for survivors of German abuse before Pope Leo XIV, ensuring that the accusations are not supported and are based on “false assumptions”.
The response of the Archdiocese occurred after the “Betrophenenbeirat” (Advisory Council of affected people) of the German Episcopal Conference on Friday presented on Friday a formal canonical complaint to Pope Leo XIV.
Receive the main news of ACI Press by WhatsApp and Telegram
It is increasingly difficult to see Catholic news on social networks. Subscribe to our free channels today:
The complaint claimed that the cardinal violated his pastoral duties in relation to cases of sexual abuse, he reported CNA GermanEwtn News German agency.
“The accusations are obviously unfounded and are based – certainly unintentionally due to lack of better knowledge – on a series of false assumptions and statements,” said the archdiocese in an answer obtained by CNA Deutsch.
“Revictimizing” for abuse survivors
The Survivors Advisory Council said that Woelki cheated the victims of abuse about the appropriate procedures and managed the cases negligently. However, the archdiocese replied that recent investigations “were not carried out to clarify the management of possible sexual crimes, the denunciation of perpetrators, and certainly not to address cases of abuse.”
The archdiocese also questioned the legal basis of the canonical complaint, arguing that, since civil cases did not address the abuse management procedures, “the application of the rules of canon law mentioned in the letter is completely discarded.”
The declaration also indicated that, according to German law, only the courts – not the prosecutors – can issue legally binding and that such findings against Woelki have not been made.
The Betrophenbeirat said that there was “lost all confidence that under the leadership of Cardinal Woelki, cases of abuse would be investigated without consideration towards perpetrators.”
The Council also described Woelki’s behavior as “revictimizing” for abuse survivors.
The archdiocese dismissed other accusations about negligent management of archives and deception to survivors as vague accusations presented without documentation.
“These are also obviously unfounded and must be decidedly rejected,” the statement concluded.
Structure and function of the Advisory Council
The complaint was filed to the bishop of Trveris, Mons. Stephan Ackermann, Prelate of the Ecclesiastical Province of Colonia, and addressed to Pope Leo XIV. The archdiocese said that Woelki would have preferred that the authors establish a direct and open dialogue with him.
Betrophenbeirat functions as an official advisory body of the bishops of Germany, established in 2019 to institutionalize the participation of survivors in Church abuse policies.
The Council, composed of 12 members, includes people directly or indirectly affected by clerical sex foundational documents.
Translated and adapted by the ACI Press team. Originally published in CNA German.
Martin Bürger
Martin Bürger is an interim chief editor of CNA Deutsch. It has been writing almost two decades on Catholic issues and has reported from Germany, Austria and North America. He completed his theology studies at a pontifical university with a mastery.