Post a Comment Print Share on Facebook

Witness is to testify in Woelki proceedings

An oral hearing in a lawsuit by Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki against the Axel-Springer-Verlag (to which WELT also belongs) and a "Bild" reporter is scheduled for Wednesday (1 p.

- 1 reads.

Witness is to testify in Woelki proceedings

An oral hearing in a lawsuit by Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki against the Axel-Springer-Verlag (to which WELT also belongs) and a "Bild" reporter is scheduled for Wednesday (1 p.m.) before the Cologne Regional Court. According to a court spokeswoman, Woelki attacks the reporting of a priest whom he had promoted to deputy city dean of Düsseldorf.

Woelki accuses the "Bild" newspaper of having falsely reported that he knew the pastor's personal file when he was appointed in 2017 and that he knew about a warning from the police. The priest had had sex with a 16-year-old prostitute years earlier.

The former secretary of Woelki's predecessor, Cardinal Joachim Meisner, is to be heard as a witness in the trial. It could be about whether she had given Woelki information about the pastor.

A spokesman for Springer-Verlag said that the reporting on the promotion of the former Düsseldorf Deputy City Dean by Woelki was legally permissible. "It is unfortunate when bishops use the courts to prevent abuse investigations," said the spokesman. Woelki has already taken legal action against "Bild" several times.

The head of the largest German diocese is currently experiencing a phase of uncertainty. Pope Francis had asked him to submit a resignation, which Woelki did. However, the Pope has not yet decided whether to accept the request. In addition, the Cologne public prosecutor's office launched preliminary proceedings against Woelki last week for allegations of false affidavits.

Avatar
Your Name
Post a Comment
Characters Left:
Your comment has been forwarded to the administrator for approval.×
Warning! Will constitute a criminal offense, illegal, threatening, offensive, insulting and swearing, derogatory, defamatory, vulgar, pornographic, indecent, personality rights, damaging or similar nature in the nature of all kinds of financial content, legal, criminal and administrative responsibility for the content of the sender member / members are belong.