No apology of his own

adminonDecember 28, 2021January 5, 2022Leave a Comment

Gerhard Ludwig Cardinal Muller defends himself and now demands an apology from the German government's abuse commissioner after the Domspatzen scandal has been dealt with. He rejects his own apology.

Cardinal Muller rejected the accusation to the "Passauer Neue Presse" that he had dragged out the clarification of the mass abuse at the Regensburg Cathedral Boys' Choir. He had "for the first time transferred this clarification work to the institutions of the diocese, so that the investigation could begin," said Muller, who was bishop of Regensburg from 2002 to 2012.

Muller sees no reason to apologize

Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Muller sees no reason for his own apology in connection with the investigation of the attacks on the Regensburg Cathedral Boys' Choir. The abuse commissioner Rorig had criticized the current Curia Cardinal on Wednesday: Muller had always spoken of individual cases, but had not investigated the structural failures. "It would be desirable for those affected that he would at least now apologize for the protracted processing," said Rorig. This would be an important sign for those affected.

Muller: Lawyer Weber does not tell the truth

Muller also criticized Regensburg lawyer Ulrich Weber, who had investigated the abuse over the past two years on behalf of current Regensburg Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer. If Weber now reproaches him from the backward perspective and the current state of knowledge, he cannot accept that, Muller said: "That does not correspond to the truth."Weber had criticized Muller for sticking too long to an investigation of individual cases instead of examining the system of violence as a whole.

Nearly 550 Regensburg Cathedral sparrows victims of assault

According to the final report by lawyer Ulrich Weber, 547 Regensburg Cathedral sparrows have been victims of assaults since 1945 "with a high degree of plausibility". About 500 singers were victims of physical violence, 67 were affected by sexual violence. For decades, pupils at the Domspatzen had been beaten and sexually abused. On Muller, Weber's report notes that the bishop at the time initiated the reappraisal in 2010, but was responsible for "strategic, organizational and communication weaknesses". These had been remedied only under his successor Rudolf Voderholzer.

Muller himself has also been slapped and beaten with a stick

Muller emphasized to the "Passauer Neue Presse" that he is no longer the bishop of Regensburg, but that he is "ready for any personal conversation about these terrible experiences of people from that time". He himself, he said, also received slaps and canings in his school days, including in a non-church school. Muller said, "Admittedly, I have to admit: Sexual abuse is still a completely different category than pedagogical assaults.".

Four continental trips, a synod and an encyclical

Vatican © dpa

Pope Francis and the Vatican face a busy year in 2015, with important decisions to be made for the rest of the pontificate. In addition to four overseas trips, the Holy Father is likely to be particularly preoccupied with the Synod on the Family and his encyclical on ecology.

During four overseas trips, the Catholic head of church wants to visit all continents except Australia. Immediately after the New Year's reception for the diplomatic corps, at which Francis is expected to deliver his most politically charged speech of the year, he launches on 12. January for his second trip to Asia.

Destinations include Sri Lanka and the Philippines, where he plans to visit in particular the region hit by the November 2013 tsunami, in which 6.000 people died. During the visit of John Paul II. In 1995, five million faithful gathered in Asia's only Catholic country. This time the organizers expect six million.

Candidates for the College of Cardinals

Even before this trip, possibly on 6. January, the Pope will announce the names of those he will admit to the College of Cardinals at the next consistory. It is expected to be primarily bishops from large dioceses. From the Curia, only Dominique Mamberti, former minister of foreign affairs, is expected to be part of it. Francis will certainly provide surprises again; because at the last consistory some "seeded" candidates from traditional cardinal seats left empty-handed.

Another trip abroad will take the Pope to Philadelphia for World Family Day at the end of September. Presumably, there will be subsequent stops at the UN in New York and at the U.S. Congress in Washington.

Francis has also announced a visit to three Latin American countries, without mentioning their names so far. Since then, almost all the states of the subcontinent have joined in the discussion. Three are certainly not among them: he does not plan to visit his native Argentina and Chile until 2016, and he was already in Brazil for World Youth Day in 2013.

Africa and Lourdes

Francis also plans to visit Africa in 2015, with a visit to the French Marian shrine of Lourdes also on the horizon. Within Italy, Naples and Florence are named destinations. Turin is also among them, to pay tribute to the Shroud of Christ and to celebrate St. Don Bosco's 200th birthday. Birthday to honor.

In October, landmark decisions on the sensitive ies of marriage, family and sexuality are expected from the second Synod of Bishops on these topics. From 4. until 25. The Ordinary Synod of Bishops on the Pastoral Care of the Family will meet in October. A working paper, including a questionnaire, has already been sent to the local Churches. It is a continuation of the first Synod on the Family held last October, which was unusually eventful and made clear the different positions in the episcopate. On the question of receiving communion for remarried divorcees, but also on the attitude toward homosexuals or on the position of civil marriages, some bishops pleaded for more openness, others for a strict adherence to church doctrine.

Moreover, Francis must continue to advance the reform projects he has initiated. This concerns the Curia, which needs new and more efficient structures as well as a new mentality, and which should be more at the service of the local churches, for Vatican finances, which need to be sifted through, reorganized and made more transparent, as well as for the further processing of abuse scandals.

New child protection commission

In the first days of February, the expanded new Child Protection Commission, led by Boston Cardinal Sean O' Malley, will meet for the first time. At the same time, the Economic Council coordinated by Munich Cardinal Reinhard Marx meets. Even before the solemn creations of new cardinals on 12. and 13. February Francis has summoned the College of Cardinals to a consistory. He plans to discuss current ies concerning the course of the Church with his closest collaborators.

In the course of the year, the pope intends to publish his first own encyclical on the subject of ecology; he had written the doctrinal letter "Lumen fidei" of 2013 after preliminary work by his predecessor Benedict XVI. published together with him.

A total of 15 counseling centers with 43 main and satellite locations: esperanza pregnancy counseling is an important point of contact for parents and in the Archdiocese of Cologne. Now the help network under the umbrella of Caritas is celebrating an anniversary.

Since it was founded under the Caritas umbrella in 2000, 185.000 mothers and fathers found help. "Esperanza helps mothers and fathers, regardless of nationality and religion, to set out into life with their children with hope and confidence, that's what it's all about," says Dr. Frank Johannes Hensel, Cologne Diocesan Caritas Director.

On the occasion of the anniversary on Thursday, 26. November, this site broadcasts.DE at 10 o'clock in the Internet TV the pontifical mass and the ceremonial act to the 20-year existence of the pregnancy consultation esperanza from the Cologne Basilika St. Maria im Kapitol with auxiliary bishop Ansgar Puff.

Meanwhile, the number of esperanza counseling sessions continues to rise, with women mostly coming in. They feel overwhelmed and come forward with personal conflicts – for example, because they are uncertain about their partnership, are worried about a possible disability of the child, or because of financial and housing difficulties.

50 million euros invested so far

Around 50 million euros have so far been invested in this service for life in the Archdiocese of Cologne. Today, esperanza also offers counseling on prenatal diagnosis (PND) and confidential birth, as well as sexual education work with young people and targeted counseling for fathers.

A few years ago, the Diozesan-Caritasverband and the Sozialdienst katholischer Frauen (SkF) from Cologne also started a project to help with genital mutilation. "The broad network of help shows how important the esperanza counseling is. At the same time, it is a seismograph for social phenomena and problems," said Hensel.

Esperanza was founded by the former Archbishop of Cologne, Joachim Cardinal Meisner, after the Catholic Church in Germany withdrew from the state system of conflict counseling – with the counseling certificate as a prerequisite for a penalty-free abortion.

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