“Affected and fangless”

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The archdiocese of Paderborn has admitted another case of sexual abuse by a clergyman. At the same time, Archbishop Hans-Josef Becker expressed his sympathy to the victims of the recently disclosed cases of abuse.

"The numerous cases of abuse that have come to light nationwide in recent days make me saddened and unhinged," Becker said Friday, according to the archdiocese. Abuse and pedophilia severely violate the dignity, intimacy and integrity of a child or adolescent. Great suffering is caused here. "The care of the church belongs to the victim and relatives."A priest working in the Werler Collegium Aloysianum was immediately relieved of his duties in 2002, the archdiocese announced Friday. In the late fall of 1980, sexual acts were allegedly committed against an underage boy. Thus the archdiocese confirmed now published information of "Spiegel online". But for victim-protection reasons, the archdiocese did not publicize the case earlier, spokesman agidius Engel said. The person concerned did not wish to go public and file a complaint. According to Engel, the victim had confronted the clergyman in 2002. As a result, the priest had revealed himself to the then Archbishop of Paderborn, Cardinal Joachim Degenhardt. Also because of his health situation, the cardinal relieved him of his duties. To this day, the crime is said to be an isolated case. The accused priest currently works as a house chaplain in an old people's home for nuns. Case from the 50s in Munster now knownIn the meantime, the diocese of Munster shared allegations against a now 85-year-old former Marist priest. He is said to have sexually molested a minor in the Netherlands in the 1950s. Bardem, who was born in the Netherlands, had left the Order and his native country in the 1960s. From 1965 on, he worked as a priest in the diocese of Munster. He has lived in the diocese of Aachen since his retirement in 1993. According to the diocese, Bishop Felix Genn of Munster banned the clergyman from performing priestly duties until the allegations are clarified. The investigations were carried out by the Dutch church commission "Help and Justice". In recent weeks, numerous cases of abuse by priests of the Catholic Jesuit order have become known, some of them dating back several decades. According to media reports, at least ten church servants are currently under suspicion. In Lower Saxony, three priests are accused of abuse in Gottingen, Hanover and Hildesheim. The first cases had been made public by the head of the Berlin Jesuit school Canisius-Kolleg, Klaus Mertes, at the end of January.

The chairman of the German Bishops' Conference, Georg Batzing, speaks out in favor of far-reaching changes in the Catholic Church. Among other things, he suggested a change in the rules of the Catechism in matters of homosexuality.

He emphasized this in the interview of "Herder Korrespondenz" (January). Pope John Paul II's 1992. The "World Catechism" published by the Catholic Church is intended to be a "sure norm for instruction in the faith" and an "authentic reference text for the exposition of Catholic doctrine.".

Catechism says it is not a sin to have homosexual feelings. Homosexuals are to be treated with "respect, compassion and tact" without discrimination. Homosexual acts, however, are "not okay in themselves".

Church blessing for couples?

Batzing also suggests church blessings for couples who cannot marry in church: "We need solutions for this that not only take effect in private, but also have a public visibility – but make it clear that no marriage is endowed."

In addition to homosexual couples, for example, people who remarry civilly after a divorce can no longer marry civilly according to Catholic teachings. Such blessings may be feasible without official recognition from the Vatican, he said.

In the interview, the Limburg bishop also advocates further reforms, such as in the participation of women in the church. In order to discuss more far-reaching changes, he considers a new Church-wide council conceivable.

Arguments against women priests are less and less convincing

According to Batzing, it is also becoming increasingly difficult to justify the ban on ordination of deacons and priests for women in the Catholic Church. The president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference went on to say in the interview: "But I must honestly say that I am also aware that these arguments are becoming less and less convincing and that there are well-developed arguments in theology in favor of opening up the sacramental ministry to women as well."

As a first step, he often mentioned here the diaconate of women, that is, the ordination of deacons as the first step before the ordination of priests and bishops. Because here he sees a leeway, according to Batzing: "For the office of the priest, the popes since John Paul II. said in unison that the question had been answered – and yet it is on the table."

John Paul II. had declared in 1994 that the Church has "no authority whatsoever" to ordain women as priests. Supplementing he had stressed "that all believers of the church have to adhere definitively to this decision". Among the reasons repeatedly given is that Jesus called only men to be apostles and successors.

Statement by Bishop Voderholzer

Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer of Regensburg, in his Christmas sermon, justified the rejection of women's priesthood by saying that the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches ame that the representation of Christ, the head of the Church, naturally requires the male gender as a sign.

Because women are not allowed to become Catholic priests, they are thus also barred from being ordained as deacons, as long as this is considered the first step of the ordained ministry and thus inseparable from the priesthood.

Pope Francis, while repeatedly advocating greater participation by women, has so far rejected ordained offices for women. Those who want to strengthen the participation of women in the church only by allowing them to be ordained are falling short and "clericalizing" women, he wrote, among other things. At the same time, he set up a commission on the diaconate of women.

Work order: less teaching, more listening

Ahead of World Synod on the Family in Vatican, Catholic marriage counselors warn against overloading bishops' meeting. Confidence-building measures are now needed, said Markus Wonka, head of marriage, family and life counseling in the diocese of Munster, in an interview with the KNA.

Catholic News Agency: Mr. Wonka, what would you advise the pope if he called you tomorrow and asked for advice for the synod??

Markus Wonka (head of marriage, family and life counseling in the diocese of Munster): I would advise him not to set the demands on the synod too high and not to succumb to the temptation as if the bishops' assembly could regulate everything. Perhaps it does not have to be. Even or especially a world bishops' meeting cannot give a comprehensive answer to such a diverse and difficult topic as marriage and family – and that even worldwide. We in the Western world have quite different problems with marriage and family life. But everywhere there are inquiries about the Church's teaching on marriage.
CBA: What then would be your work assignment for the synod?
Wonka: The Catholic Church has lost a tremendous amount of trust in this area in recent decades. The Magisterium gave the impression that it knew all the answers. The Catholics, with their very personal experiences and also serious efforts for successful relationships, felt that they were not being taken seriously at all. If the synod were to formulate in a positive way some basic outlines of an ecclesiastical doctrine on marriage and sexuality, that would probably be enough. What is needed now are measures that build trust.

CBA: And what could they look like??

Wonka: The church should show more clearly that it values people's life experiences. It is first of all about a change in style: I would advise less teaching, more listening and more restraint. The church should signal that it respects people's personal responsibility. And it is about breaking down black and white thinking: As if everything that takes place beyond pure doctrine is sin and wrongdoing.

CBA: But doesn't that mean, as some conservative Catholics fear, that the clarity of doctrine is lost?

Wonka: A change in style does not mean that the church conceals its own values and goals. Faithfulness, permanence and reliability are also much appreciated by the people. It is a matter of the church keeping alive the fundamental basics, but then leaving room for its own responsibility – and accompanying people in this. It should be about a basic attitude rather than laws.

CBA: But aren't many of the demands, for example, that sexuality be tied solely to marriage and the procreation of offspring, long outdated by biology and the human sciences and in need of updating??

Wonka: The Second Vatican Council already overcame the old doctrine of the purpose of marriage, which saw sexuality only in connection with the procreation of offspring. It has emphasized that sexuality also serves the well-being of partners and couple bonding. But this would have to be made clearer. If then in the debate about remarried divorcees it is again argued that a second relationship is only tolerable if sexuality is renounced, this is of course counterproductive. Such a view means a narrow focus on sexuality. But it is also about reliability and responsibility for each other.

CBA: The topic at the synod will probably also be the church's offers of help for couples. Does the church in Germany do enough to accompany married couples and provide counseling in crisis situations?

Wonka: More would always be desirable. On the other hand, we are already doing a lot. Year after year, around 100 couples in Germany take advantage of this service.000 people seeking counseling, including 30.000 couples, the offers of our marriage counseling. From diocese to diocese, however, there are great differences. It would be important to make the already existing offers in the parishes better known. Marriage preparation, accompaniment of couples and counseling in crisis situations could also be better linked together

CBA: Already among Catholics, there is a big gap between sexual teachings and the reality of life. Does Catholic marriage counseling still have a chance at all with people who are far from the Church??

Wonka: It is a paradoxical situation: by no means only good Catholics come to us, but also many Protestants, Muslims and non-Christians. Catholics make up about 55 percent, Protestants another 24 percent, 6 percent with other religious affiliation and 15 percent with no religious affiliation. And our marriage, family and life counseling centers can hardly cope with the influx. That seems to me to be important for the church: Where it accompanies and listens to people, without concealing its values, it is highly attractive and not at all old and dusty.

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