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In the case of the Archdiocese of Cologne there is reason to breathe a sigh of relief and reason to mourn.
The sigh of relief is, as it were, of a worldly nature, it is this world, and of short duration.
The diocese leadership has relentlessly named names, suspended two responsible persons from their duties, and confirmed the possibility of inspecting the first, previously withheld report.
Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki did not spare his predecessors in a decision that everyone would certainly like to make once in a lifetime, and he frankly admitted that the diocese apparently dealt with church officials differently, more gently and more cautiously than in the whole matter with laypeople.
It embarrasses him.
He made his humiliation public.
None of this is by any means standard in institutions that, for good and sometimes not so good reasons, attach great importance to not being too exposed to self-criticism.
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The reason for mourning is more weighty, and it is not over with the appearance on Thursday.
What an abuse of trust is now visible again, in addition to the mental and physical abuse of the deeds that are the cause of the reports!
High expectations
Church, bishops, cardinals - they are trusted by the faithful, who are of good heart and good mind; they expect from them to be a bastion of God, the Ten Commandments, the Christian way of life and Christian civilization.
How many prayers are said not only for the salvation of human soul, but also for the holy Christian Church - prayers that are so important in dark historical and political times.
How many people trust their bishops and cardinals despite leaving the church, of course they want to continue doing that - and now this.
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And don't lead us into temptation, a sentence that should sometimes read: And lead us into temptation - who has the officials, who has tempted the bishops and cardinals to want to protect the institution and sometimes themselves more than they do Victim?
Nobody is immune from error, guilt and sin, that is a central and revolutionary message of the Bible.
In the Archdiocese of Cologne there is now reason to reflect on what this guilt and sin is and whether there is a humility before God that looks such guilt and sin in the eye before forgiveness is discussed.