Posts Tagged ‘Archdiocese of Cologne’

Cardinal to take legal action over perjury raid

Monday, July 3rd, 2023
Cardinal Woelki legal action

Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki (pictured), the Archbishop of Cologne, has announced his intention to take legal action after investigators on June 27 searched his residence and other buildings belonging to the Archdiocese of Cologne. The search operation involved approximately 30 police officers and four state prosecutors. According to KNA news agency, the cardinal’s lawyer, Bjoern Read more

Perjury probe – Archdiocese of Cologne raided

Thursday, June 29th, 2023
Archdiocese of Cologne

German investigators conducted raids within the Archdiocese of Cologne as part of a perjury investigation targeting Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki. The probe is in connection with media coverage of sexual abuse scandals within the Catholic Church. The Cologne prosecutors confirmed that around 30 police officers searched six locations, including Woelki’s residence and an IT centre Read more

Cologne’s cardinal offers pope resignation over scandals

Thursday, March 3rd, 2022
https://static.dw.com/image/56914182_6.jpg

Cologne’s cardinal, Rainer Maria Woelki, for a second time, has offered his resignation to Pope Francis. Woelki has been facing strong criticism for several months for his responses to allegations of child abuse in the Church. He chose to take a five-month break from his duties last September after the Vatican report accused him of Read more

Heightened tension during meeting with Archbishop of Cologne

Monday, July 5th, 2021
Archdiocese of Cologne crisis

The pastoral council of the Archdiocese of Cologne met in mid-June with their local ordinary, Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, and the mood was particularly tense. The 75 priests and lay Catholics who make up the parish council met just days after the conclusion of an apostolic visitation of the archdiocese. The Vatican investigation of the Read more

Pope orders apostolic visitation for Archdiocese of Cologne

Monday, May 31st, 2021

Pope Francis has ordered an apostolic visitation of the Archdiocese of Cologne, in Germany, to examine the pastoral situation and the handling of sexual abuse cases. The archdiocese said that the pope’s apostolic visitors would evaluate “possible mistakes” made by its leader, Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki. “During the first half of June, the Holy See’s Read more

Catholic laypeople demand local synod

Thursday, April 22nd, 2021

Catholic laypeople in the Archdiocese of Cologne want a local synod on how clergy sexual abuse is handled in the archdiocese. “We must make every effort to reestablish a genuine dialogue between the cardinal, senior members of the diocesan leadership and the grassroots of the church,” says Tim Kurzbach, president of the Cologne archdiocesan council Read more

Cardinal’s abuse inaction causes protestants to abandon church

Thursday, February 18th, 2021
Cardinal Woelki abuse

Pressure is mounting on German Cardinal Woelki to act decisively on sexual abuse allegations in the archdiocese of Cologne. The number of Catholics leaving the church, centred on Cologne, has reached a record 1,000 a month. But Protestants are also voting with their feet. The Cologne archdiocese’s “sluggish” efforts to clear up the abuse scandal Read more