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 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
Hamburg Archbishop Stefan Hesse has offered his resignation after being accused of mishandling sex abuse allegations while he was a priest in Cologne. The Cardinal Archbishop of Cologne, Ranier Maria Woelki, also took action against two subordinates in the wake of a damning report on the church’s mishandling of sexual abuse allegations. Auxiliary Bishop Dominikus Read more
The German president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, says the Catholic Church should allow Protestants to receive Communion. He offered his opinion at Katholikentag, a Muenster-based conference drawing tens of thousands of Catholics from German-speaking Europe. “Let us seek ways of expressing the common Christian faith by sharing in the Last Supper and Communion. I am sure thousands Read more