Cardinal Woelki refuses to resign following abuse report

Cardinal Woelki refuses to resign following abuse report

Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, 64, said he won’t resign following the publication of the report on the handling of clerical sex abuse in the Archdiocese of Cologne.

“To simply take the moral responsibility with me and to go to protect the reputation of the office of bishop and of the Church – I think that’s too easy. And in my view it is also wrong,” the cardinal said March 23. “Such a resignation would only be a short-lived symbol.”

At a news conference, Cardinal Woelki gave an update on the consequences and measures being taken after an independent report on the handling of abuse cases at the Cologne Archdiocese was released March 18.

The German Catholic news agency KNA reported Cardinal Woelki said he could only improve things from within his office.

“In (the) future, I will do everything I can to ensure that, if possible, no more mistakes can happen,” he said.

The cardinal admitted that he had made himself culpable in his handling of abuse cases. He said that he knew from the abuse report that he had acted dutifully and legally in the case of the accused priest identified as O, KNA reported.

“But it’s not just about doing the right thing, it’s about doing everything humanly possible. And I didn’t do that.” It would have been better if he had reported the case to Rome, he said.