The public prosecutor’s office in Cologne has apparently initiated preliminary proceedings once morest the Cologne Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki. Three Catholic priests who had filed criminal charges once morest Woelki for “false affidavit” published a corresponding letter of confirmation on Saturday. The commencement of investigations following receipt of a criminal complaint does not necessarily mean that there is initial suspicion or that charges will be filed later. After media research into an affidavit by Woelki, the priests Burkhard Hose from Würzburg, Bernd Mönkebüscher from Hamm and Wolfgang Rothe from Munich reported him on September 1st. They accuse the cardinal of having given a false affidavit.
Woelki had given the insurance in the course of a press law procedure once morest the “Bild” newspaper. In it he explains that he had not been involved with the case of the nationwide prominent clergyman Winfried Pilz before the fourth week of June 2022. The late, former Sternsinger boss Pilz is accused of sexual violence once morest young men. The Archdiocese of Cologne only reported the allegations once morest Pilz to the Dresden-Meissen diocese in the second half of June 2022, where the priest had spent years in retirement until his death in 2019. As a result, the diocese was unable to control the conditions imposed once morest fungus in the past. Critics see a breach of duty by Woelki. The Archbishop, on the other hand, emphasizes that he was only personally involved with the Pilz case from the fourth week of June.
Not the first complaint once morest the Cologne cardinal
However, an alleged victim of Pilz was invited to a conversation with the cardinal at the beginning of May, as research by Deutschlandfunk and the “Zeit” supplement “Christ und Welt” showed. The archdiocese confirmed the invitation, which, however, was not written by the cardinal, but by Woelki’s office manager. According to the archdiocese, the cardinal offered several talks on the subject of abuse following the publication of a work-up report in March 2021. If an interview is requested, his office independently arranges an appointment for which Woelki is only prepared shortly beforehand. It was the same with this person who had been invited for the end of June.
It is not the first complaint once morest Woelki. In the meantime, the public prosecutor’s office had received more than 30 reports once morest him and other people for alleged aiding and abetting in the abuse. At the time, however, the authority rejected investigations because the initial suspicion was too low. In addition, a person affected by abuse has sued the Archdiocese for 725,000 euros in damages for breach of official duty through omission. This procedure is ongoing and will be negotiated from November. (KNA)
