TRANSCRIPT
At the request of Pope Francis, a German bishop is resuming his office after a six-month break. But he’s also submitting his resignation for a second time. Church Militant’s Kim Tisor tells us more about this German shepherd.
Cologne’s archbishop, Cdl. Rainer Maria Woelki, submitted his first resignation to Pope Francis in September after a sex abuse investigation faulted him for making “major mistakes in his approach to the issue of coming to terms with abuse overall, especially at the level of communication” and that this “has contributed significantly to a crisis of confidence in the archdiocese.”
At the pope’s request, despite stepping back in September, Woelki is again taking charge of the archdiocese of Cologne.
But he is again offering to resign, saying in a letter to his sheep, “I placed my service and office as archbishop of Cologne at the Holy Father’s disposal, so that he is free to decide what best serves the Church of Cologne.”
Woelki has been one of the few German prelates criticizing the ongoing Synodal Path.
He argued Christians have to “confront a crisis of faith and understanding rather than adapt to a ‘new reality of life.'”
He also cautioned the Synod could lead the German hierarchy “out of communion with the Universal Church.”
Pope Francis has yet to respond to the cardinal’s second request for resignation. But Woelki stepping down would mean fewer prelates fighting against the destruction of the Church in Germany.
The cardinal has also been a vocal pro-life advocate, backing bans on abortion advertisements.