At Christmas Mass in the cathedral in Cologne Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki asked for forgiveness.
He was referring to matters concerning the current controversy concerning how the Archdiocese of Cologne has handled a number of sex abuse cases perpetrated by priests of the archdiocese.
But his remarks at the Mass are extraordinary. What is the archbishop apologising for?
It looks and sounds like a perfect example of clerical obfuscation, in other words nonsense.
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The reports (which Woelki does not deny) is that he failed to pass on information concerning a case of clerical sexual abuse to the Vatican, as he was obliged to do. The reason for this, it is claimed, is that the cleric involved (who has since died) was very old and suffering from dementia.
It is clear from this that Woelki - in common with other colleagues - still doesn't understand some fundamental points about dealing with clerical sexual abuse The primary focus must be on the victims - their right to justice, their need for closure (as far as that is possible). The other, sadly familiar aspect of this is the archbishop's total failure to recognise the consequences of his (in)action when the whole business was made public, which he should have known would happen.
In this, Woelki shows his adherence to an essential part of the clericalist mindset which regards public accountability for their actions as a negligible aspect.
His apology - such as it is - is an admission that he acted wrongly. The next step is clear. He must resign.
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