DOCSLIB.ORG

Abuse Report Exonerates Cologne Cardinal, Incriminates Hamburg Archbishop

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Abuse Report Exonerates Cologne Cardinal, Incriminates Hamburg Archbishop Abuse report exonerates Cologne cardinal, incriminates Hamburg archbishop COLOGNE, Germany (CNS) — A much-anticipated report on the handling of abuse cases in the Archdiocese of Cologne exonerates Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki but incriminates Hamburg Archbishop Stefan Hesse and Cologne Auxiliary Bishop Dominik Schwaderlapp. The report by the law firm Gercke Wollschläger accuses Cardinal Woelki’s predecessors, the deceased Cardinals Joseph Höffner (1906-1987) and Joachim Meisner (1933-2017), of many breaches of duty in the handling of abuse cases — in terms of state and church law as well as in terms of the church’s self- understanding, the German Catholic news agency KNA reported. The report also incriminates the former vicar general, Father Norbert Feldhoff, and the head of the Cologne church court, Father Günter Assenmacher, who is accused of having given inaccurate legal information in two cases. In an immediate reaction to the findings, Cardinal Woelki relieved Bishop Schwaderlapp and Father Assenmacher of their duties, KNA reported. The cardinal said he would now have to read the report in the next few days and consider further consequences. He added that he was not authorized to act in all cases, for example regarding diocesan bishops. “I will therefore forward the report to Rome today,” the cardinal said. The debate surrounding the investigation into past abuse in the biggest diocese in the German-speaking world has been making headlines for months. Several German bishops have repeatedly complained that the events in Cologne were damaging the entire church in Germany. Church membership resignations there have reached unprecedented levels. Cardinal Woelki had originally commissioned another law firm to conduct the report but then refused to allow its publication because he considered it to be deficient. That prompted critics to accuse him of lacking the will to push for a rigorous investigation. However, victims, journalists and interested parties will be able to study that first report by a Munich law firm soon, KNA reported. Björn Gercke and the co-author of the new study, Kerstin Stirner, accused church officials of being deeply ignorant of the law and said the files had been in a disastrous state. When the rules were secret, ignorance of the law was the logical consequence, they said. Officials had focused on shielding the church as an institution, the report said. At the news conference that Cardinal Woelki attended, Gercke identified 75 breaches of duty by eight living and deceased officials between 1975 and 2018 based on the case files. Cardinal Höffner had committed eight breaches of duty and Cardinal Meisner 24, or around a third of the total. Archbishop Hesse, who was director of personnel in the Cologne Archdiocese, is accused of 11 breaches of duty from his time in Cologne. The former vicar general, Father Feldhoff, was accused of 13 violations and Auxiliary Bishop Schwaderlapp of eight. The law firm said its investigation covered the period from 1975 to 2018. It found cases of abuse and transgressive behavior by 202 accused people, of whom almost two-thirds were clerics. There were 314 victims, including 178 males and 119 females. For 17 victims, the gender was not stated..
Load more

Recommended publications
  • History and Culture
    HISTORY AND CULTURE A HAMBURG PORTUGUESE IN THE SERVICE OF THE HAGANAH: THE TRIAL AGAINST DAVID SEALTIEL IN HAMBURG (1937) Ina Lorenz (Hamburg. Germany) Spotlighted in the story here to be told is David de Benjamin Sealtiel (Shaltiel, 1903–1969), a Sephardi Jew from Hamburg, who from 1934 worked for the Haganah in Palestine as a weapons buyer. He paid for that activity with 862 days in incarceration under extremely difficult conditions of detention in the concentration camps of the SS.1 Jewish Immigration into Palestine and the Founding of the Haganah2 In order to be able to effectively protect the new Jewish settlements in Palestine from Arab attacks, and since possession of weapons was prohibited under the British Mandatory administration, arms and munitions initially were generally being smuggled into Palestine via French- controlled Syria. The leaders of the Haganah and Histadrut transformed the Haganah with the help of the Jewish Agency from a more or less untrained militia into a paramilitary group. The organization, led by Yisrael Galili (1911–1986), which in the rapidly growing Jewish towns had approximately 10,000 members, continued to be subordinate to the civilian leadership of the Histadrut. The Histadrut also was responsible for the ———— 1 Michael Studemund-Halévy has dealt with the fascinating, complex personality of David Sealtiel/Shaltiel in a number of publications in German, Hebrew, French and English: “From Hamburg to Paris”; “Vom Shaliach in den Yishuv”; “Sioniste au par- fum romanesque”; “David Shaltiel.” See also [Shaltiel, David]. “In meines Vaters Haus”; Scholem. “Erinnerungen an David Shaltiel (1903–1968).” The short bio- graphical sketches on David Sealtiel are often based on inadequate, incorrect, wrong or fictitious informations: Avidar-Tschernovitz.
    [Show full text]
  • NORTH RHINE WESTPHALIA 10 REASONS YOU SHOULD VISIT in 2019 the Mini Guide
    NORTH RHINE WESTPHALIA 10 REASONS YOU SHOULD VISIT IN 2019 The mini guide In association with Commercial Editor Olivia Lee Editor-in-Chief Lyn Hughes Art Director Graham Berridge Writer Marcel Krueger Managing Editor Tom Hawker Managing Director Tilly McAuliffe Publishing Director John Innes ([email protected]) Publisher Catriona Bolger ([email protected]) Commercial Manager Adam Lloyds ([email protected]) Copyright Wanderlust Publications Ltd 2019 Cover KölnKongress GmbH 2 www.nrw-tourism.com/highlights2019 NORTH RHINE-WESTPHALIA Welcome On hearing the name North Rhine- Westphalia, your first thought might be North Rhine Where and What? This colourful region of western Germany, bordering the Netherlands and Belgium, is perhaps better known by its iconic cities; Cologne, Düsseldorf, Bonn. But North Rhine-Westphalia has far more to offer than a smattering of famous names, including over 900 museums, thousands of kilometres of cycleways and a calendar of exciting events lined up for the coming year. ONLINE Over the next few pages INFO we offer just a handful of the Head to many reasons you should visit nrw-tourism.com in 2019. And with direct flights for more information across the UK taking less than 90 minutes, it’s the perfect destination to slip away to on a Friday and still be back in time for your Monday commute. Published by Olivia Lee Editor www.nrw-tourism.com/highlights2019 3 NORTH RHINE-WESTPHALIA DID YOU KNOW? Despite being landlocked, North Rhine-Westphalia has over 1,500km of rivers, 360km of canals and more than 200 lakes. ‘Father Rhine’ weaves 226km through the state, from Bad Honnef in the south to Kleve in the north.
    [Show full text]
  • From Charlemagne to Hitler: the Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire and Its Symbolism
    From Charlemagne to Hitler: The Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire and its Symbolism Dagmar Paulus (University College London) [email protected] 2 The fabled Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire is a striking visual image of political power whose symbolism influenced political discourse in the German-speaking lands over centuries. Together with other artefacts such as the Holy Lance or the Imperial Orb and Sword, the crown was part of the so-called Imperial Regalia, a collection of sacred objects that connotated royal authority and which were used at the coronations of kings and emperors during the Middle Ages and beyond. But even after the end of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the crown remained a powerful political symbol. In Germany, it was seen as the very embodiment of the Reichsidee, the concept or notion of the German Empire, which shaped the political landscape of Germany right up to National Socialism. In this paper, I will first present the crown itself as well as the political and religious connotations it carries. I will then move on to demonstrate how its symbolism was appropriated during the Second German Empire from 1871 onwards, and later by the Nazis in the so-called Third Reich, in order to legitimise political authority. I The crown, as part of the Regalia, had a symbolic and representational function that can be difficult for us to imagine today. On the one hand, it stood of course for royal authority. During coronations, the Regalia marked and established the transfer of authority from one ruler to his successor, ensuring continuity amidst the change that took place.
    [Show full text]
  • North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) / India
    Page 1 of 13 Consulate General of India Frankfurt *** General and Bilateral Brief- North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) / India North Rhine-Westphalia, commonly shortened to NRW is the most populous state of Germany, with a population of approximately 18 million, and the fourth largest by area. It was formed in 1946 as a merger of the provinces of North Rhine and Westphalia, both formerly parts of Prussia, and the Free State of Lippe. Its capital is Düsseldorf; the largest city is Cologne. Four of Germany's ten largest cities—Cologne, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, and Essen— are located within the state, as well as the second largest metropolitan area on the European continent, Rhine-Ruhr. NRW is a very diverse state, with vibrant business centers, bustling cities and peaceful natural landscapes. The state is home to one of the strongest industrial regions in the world and offers one of the most vibrant cultural landscapes in Europe. Salient Features 1. Geography: The state covers an area of 34,083 km2 and shares borders with Belgium in the southwest and the Netherlands in the west and northwest. It has borders with the German states of Lower Saxony to the north and northeast, Rhineland-Palatinate to the south and Hesse to the southeast. Thinking of North Rhine-Westphalia also means thinking of the big rivers, of the grassland, the forests, the lakes that stretch between the Eifel hills and the Teutoburg Forest range. The most important rivers flowing at least partially through North Rhine-Westphalia include: the Rhine, the Ruhr, the Ems, the Lippe, and the Weser.
    [Show full text]
  • Geo-Spatial Analysis of Population Density and Annual Income to Identify Large-Scale Socio-Demographic Disparities
    International Journal of Geo-Information Article Geo-Spatial Analysis of Population Density and Annual Income to Identify Large-Scale Socio-Demographic Disparities Nicolai Moos * , Carsten Juergens and Andreas P. Redecker Geomatics Group, Institute of Geography, Faculty of Geosciences, Ruhr University Bochum, D-44870 Bochum, Germany; [email protected] (C.J.); [email protected] (A.P.R.) * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: This paper describes a methodological approach that is able to analyse socio-demographic and -economic data in large-scale spatial detail. Based on the two variables, population density and annual income, one investigates the spatial relationship of these variables to identify locations of imbalance or disparities assisted by bivariate choropleth maps. The aim is to gain a deeper insight into spatial components of socioeconomic nexuses, such as the relationships between the two variables, especially for high-resolution spatial units. The used methodology is able to assist political decision-making, target group advertising in the field of geo-marketing and for the site searches of new shop locations, as well as further socioeconomic research and urban planning. The developed methodology was tested in a national case study in Germany and is easily transferrable to other countries with comparable datasets. The analysis was carried out utilising data about population density and average annual income linked to spatially referenced polygons of postal codes. These were disaggregated initially via a readapted three-class dasymetric mapping approach and allocated to large-scale city block polygons. Univariate and bivariate choropleth maps generated Citation: Moos, N.; Juergens, C.; from the resulting datasets were then used to identify and compare spatial economic disparities for a Redecker, A.P.
    [Show full text]
  • Hanseatic League, 1370
    Hanseatic League, 1370 “The lust for buying and selling was strong in their blood, and, under the most fearful conditions of hardship and danger, they went their weary way over the ill-conditioned roads to convey their merchandise from place to place, braving the dangers of pillage and death at the hands of the various Barons and powerful dignitaries of the Church—for their holy calling did not make the latter any less eager for temporal riches.” —Elizabeth Gee Nash, The Hansa: Its History and Romance Dear Delegates, It is with great excitement and pleasure that I welcome everyone to the Hanseatic League! My name is Bob Zhao. I am a sophomore studying Economics and Computer Science, and I will be directing the Hanseatic League committee over the course of the weekend. I’m originally from Memphis, Tennessee, and have been involved with Model UN since my freshman year of high school. After attending WUMUNS my freshman year, I was absolutely hooked, and it became the conference I most looked forward to every year afterward. I am so excited to relive one of my favorite parts of high school with you all and to explore this fascinating period of history throughout the three days of WUMUNS XI. The Hanseatic League is one of the earliest and most important, yet least known, economic unions in European history, the influence of which can be seen in the trade confederations of Renaissance Italy, the rise of the German states in the late 1800s, and even the modern European Union. Many of the economic idiosyncrasies of the modern European system can be traced back to the formative years of the Hanseatic League, which, in addition to being an important economic collective in continental Europe, was an extremely influential political force in the pre-Reformation golden years of the Holy Roman Empire.
    [Show full text]
  • IN ONE DAY a City Guide for Beginners
    HALLE IN ONE DAY A city guide for beginners audio guide included Audio guide Halle (Saale) App with beacon technology Welcome to Halle First of all, let us say that we think it’s impossible to experience everything Halle has to offer in just one day. But if that’s all the 1 Download the app time you’ve got, we’ve put together a fascinating tour and some great special offers so you can make the most of your visit. As you “Audio guide Halle” for free explore Halle – from its historic centre and numerous museums to the diverse arts and theatre scene and the leisurely banks of the river Saale – you’ll soon realise you need to spend longer here or come back again. No problem – we have even more insider’s 2 Activate the tips for your next visit. You bring the good weather and we’ll take Bluetooth function care of everything else! The Halle Tourist Information team 3 Start the individual tour around Halle and receive useful information of sights We’re always happy to help! Visit us at the Tourist Information Centre in the Marktschlösschen building We provide: This is how it works a free accommodation booking service information and advice about the city (the birthplace of Handel), events and excursions Under “Start Tour” or by receiving push messages at various a variety of sightseeing tours locations, you can set off on foot for your stroll around Halle’s city a wide range of souvenirs centre. This has 17 stations and lasts around 60 to 90 minutes.
    [Show full text]
  • Duisburg-Convention.De Sören Link
    duisburg-convention.de Sören Link, Foto: Leskovar Zoltan Mayor of Duisburg »As a cosmopolitan port city, Duisburg can look back on a long tradition of welcoming guests in the most agreeable fashion. Find out for yourself and discover the vitality, openness and hospitality of the people who live in our city on the Rhine and Ruhr.« Duisburg Convention Page 2 Duisburg is pulsating This centrally located city sits between the Lower Rhine and the Ruhr region DK The unbeatable advantage of Duisburg as a des- Distance from airports tination is its outstanding accessibility from all Düsseldorf: 21 km directions. The city that boasts the world’s largest Cologne/Bonn: 50 km inland port is an important European logistics hub Dortmund: 65 km Hamburg Weeze: 60 km and transport interchange between motorway and NL PL Accessibility by car Berlin rail. Düsseldorf Airport is just eight minutes away Hannover by train. Links to the A3, A40 and A42 transport axes Duisburg GER Leipzig Accessibility by train Dresden Duisburg is a city in motion. It pulsates between Fast links to the central train stations in Cologne the Lower Rhine, Ruhr region and Rhine rail corridor, Düsseldorf, Cologne, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, B Frankfurt/Main providing an incomparable selection of locations Brussels, Hamburg, Berlin and Paris CZ for conferences, congresses, trade fairs or incentive L Hotel capacity events. Stuttgart More than 3,600 beds F Whether you are seeking an idyllic rural hotel, a Munich state-of-the-art VIP lounge or wish to organise a A meeting in the machine hall of a former ironworks, CH in Duisburg you are spoilt for choice! Duisburg Convention Page 3 Duisburg Convention Page 4 Duisburg is out and about Lakes, forests, industrial culture, festivals and high culture Wow your guests! Millions of people flock to the former collieries and ironworks in the Ruhr region every year.
    [Show full text]
  • Automotive. Thuringia – Automotive Hub with All Assets
    Automotive. Thuringia – Automotive hub with all assets. Thuringia has an irresistible attraction for the automo- Product segments tive industry: Global players such as Opel/PSA, Magna, by employees Bosch, BMW, Daimler, IHI and BorgWarner have set up production here. Thuringia is a central location that is never far from Germany’s and Europe’s carmakers. Around 660 automotive manufacturers and supplier companies have production opera- tions in Thuringia; around 68,000 people work in the industry. Together, they generat- ed over € 9.4 billion in revenue in 2017. Alongside large corporations, many nimble mid- sized firms drive growth in this sector. One of the strengths of the Thuringian industry is its wide range of technological competencies. Auto manufacturing has deep roots in Drive system/chassis 48 % Auto body/exteriors 21 % the state: Already in the early 20th century, BMW produced their first car in Thuringia. Electrics/electronics 16 % Today, half of all Daimler engines are manufactured in a plant in Thuringia. Interiors 15 % (Source: Study „Paths to sustainability for the automotive supplier industry in Thuringia“, 07/2018) Thuringian automotive industry at a glance The portal „virtual automobile“ represents the know-how of more than 500 More information companies of the Thuringian automotive industry. The search function reveals potential partners for production and research & development. on the automotive www.virtuelles-automobil-thueringen.de location Thuringia A fast-track Sought-after specialists network. with great ideas. The Eisenach region is the physical nucleus Thuringia has been making cars for over of the industry: it lies at the geographical a hundred years. It still draws enormous center of Germany.
    [Show full text]
  • The Number One Logistics Location in Europe North Rhine-Westphalia – Home of the Global Players
    Foto: duisport/Köppen Foto: NRW – The Number One Logistics Location in Europe North Rhine-Westphalia – Home of the Global Players North Rhine-Westphalia is the economically efficient and tightly knit network of motorways, strongest metropolitan region in Europe. If it roads and railways. Around 24,000 logistics were an independent nation, it would be one of companies are located in North Rhine-West- the strongest export countries in the world. phalia, employing 260,000 people. Even compared to the other German states, this region between the Rhine and the Ruhr Including those employees who perform logis- Valley enjoys a leading position tical activities in the manufacturing and trade industry, there are around 600,000 people active A total of 34 of Germany’s 100 largest compa- in the logistics sector in North Rhine-Westphalia. nies and nine of Europe’s 100 largest compa- This makes logistics one of the largest sectors nies are based in the Rhine and Ruhr region. In in North Rhine-Westphalia and thus the back- addition to these there are more than 723,000 bone and driving force behind its economic SMEs. Five of the top ten logistics companies success. also have their headquarters in North Rhine- Westphalia. Logistics is the most important service sector in North Rhine-Westpha lia. No other region in Eu- rope boasts such an Photo: duisport/Reinhold Photo: Logistics State NRW – Lifeline of Industry North Rhine-Westphalia is the heart of the With its four trade fair sites in Düsseldorf, Western European goods hub. Almost 40 per- Cologne, Essen and Dortmund, North Rhine- cent of the EU population who generate some Westphalia has become one of the most impor - 45 percent of the purchasing power within the tant trade fair locations for international trade in European Union live within a radius of 500 kilo- Europe and the world.
    [Show full text]
  • Page 1 Manuscript No. HAEMATOL/2012/076075 Entitled
    Manuscript no. HAEMATOL/2012/076075 entitled “Prognosis of patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma after high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation“ Authors: Elisabeth Schorb, Benjamin Kasenda, Johannes Atta, Stephan Kaun, Anke Morgner, Georg Hess, Thomas Elter, Nikolas von Bubnoff, Martin Dreyling, Mark Ringhoffer, Stefan Krause, Günter Derigs, Beate Klimm, Dirk Niemann, Kristina Fritsch, Jürgen Finke, and Gerald Illerhaus Information about the contributions of each person named as having participated in the study 1) Guarantor(s), i.e., person(s) who is (are) responsible for the integrity of the work as a whole: • Illerhaus, Gerald, Department of Hematology / Oncology, Freiburg University Medical Center, Freiburg, Germany; [email protected] • Schorb, Elisabeth, Department of Hematology / Oncology, Freiburg University Medical Center, Freiburg, Germany; [email protected] According to the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) (http://www.icmje.org/ethical_1author.html): “Authorship credit should be based on: 1) substantial contributions to conception and design, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data; 2) drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content; and 3) final approval of the version to be published. Authors should meet conditions 1, 2, and 3 ……………………. Acquisition of funding, collection of data, or general supervision of the research group alone does not constitute authorship”. The
    [Show full text]
  • Cologne Retail Guide
    COLOGNE Cushman & Wakefield Global Cities Retail Guide Cushman & Wakefield | Cologne | 2019 0 Cologne (Köln) is Germany’s fourth largest city with 1.1 million inhabitants, and the only city in North Rhine-Westphalia with over a million inhabitants, located on the Rhine, south of Dusseldorf. Cologne has become more than a tourism hot spot in recent years. It is also a major business location within Germany. Together with Berlin, Cologne is one of Germany’s most important media locations. Ten broadcasting companies are currently located in Cologne and approx. 8.2% of about 570,000 employees are working in media and IT sector. Other strong pillars of the city’s economy are the automotive industry and insurance companies or the COLOGNE Trade Fair. Furthermore, Cologne is an important university and research city. In 2018 approx. 6.3 million tourists visited Cologne which is nearly six times the number of inhabitants. Renowned Cologne Cathedral is perhaps Germany’s most visited tourist attraction. The city’s international airport has become one of Europe’s leading low-cost carrier hubs. Cologne has one of the most mature and most-visited retail markets in Germany with its prospering, central location for all kinds of retail from local providers to national and international chain stores of all sizes and industries. It is a true kaleidoscope of the German retail scene. In central Cologne a total retail area of 315,000 sqm generates an annual turnover of approximately €1.6 billion. This impressive performance of €5,200/ sqm is only topped by Hamburg and Munich. Cologne also achieves solid results in terms of its retail centrality (121.9), fashion centrality (198.9) and retail purchasing COLOGNE power (108.5).
    [Show full text]