Germany’s top Catholic bishop apologizes for abuse

BERLIN (RNS) The head of Germany’s Catholic Bishops Conference apologized Monday (Feb. 22) for sexual abuse of children at church-run schools that happened decades ago but only recently caught public attention. “I am deeply shaken by the abuse cases that have come to light. We reacted as soon as they were made public,’ said Archbishop […]

BERLIN (RNS) The head of Germany’s Catholic Bishops Conference apologized Monday (Feb. 22) for sexual abuse of children at church-run schools that happened decades ago but only recently caught public attention.

“I am deeply shaken by the abuse cases that have come to light. We reacted as soon as they were made public,’ said Archbishop Robert Zollitsch, chairman of the conference, speaking in Freiburg.

Zollitsch promised a review of 2002 standards designed to prevent such abuse and promised full cooperation with authorities investigating the crimes, which only came to light when a former Jesuit priest now living in Chile wrote a letter of apology to former students.


Most of the reports of sexual and physical abuse from across Germany cannot be prosecuted, as they are more than 30 years old. At least 124 individual cases of abuse have surfaced so far.

Zollitsch emphasized the church’s stance against sexual abuse of minors, especially given the trust children at church schools place with their priests and other religious officials. “There should never be abuse, especially not in the realm of the church,” he said.

However, he stopped short of promising a commission or internal investigation along the lines of those introduced in the United States and Ireland after similar reports prompted widespread probes.

Zollitsch said prevention would be a major focus of the church in the future, noting that priests would have to be “mature enough” for their positions. He also called on people not to turn a blind eye when they suspect abuse.

“We have to have the courage to call out injustice by its name as soon as we see it,” he said.

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