Cardinal Reinhard Marx renounces the Federal Cross of Merit

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The Munich Cardinal Reinhard Marx renounces the Federal Cross of Merit after the criticism of abuse victims. As a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising announced, Marx sent a letter to Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Tuesday. The award should have been presented to the former chairman of the German Bishops' Conference in Berlin on Friday. The “Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger” had previously reported on the waiver. There was initially no reaction from the Office of the Federal President.

In the letter, Marx thanked him for the “high honor of the award”, to which the head of state had “also in response to public criticism with appreciation and benevolence”.

He was aware that the award was also an occasion for self-critical consideration of his work and the work of the Catholic Church as a whole.

"The criticism that is now expressed by people who are affected by sexual abuse in the area of ​​the church, I take very seriously, regardless of the correctness of the individual statements in open letters and in the media." he has committed himself personally and as a minister of the Church, he does not ignore this criticism.

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Marx went on to write that with the waiver he also wanted to prevent negative interpretations with regard to other people who had received the award.

In addition, he does not want to harm the office of Federal President.

On Monday, the Advisory Board in the Archdiocese of Cologne appealed to the Federal President not to carry out the award for the time being.

According to the advisory board, which represents the victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests, the allegation of the cover-up is “far from cleared” with Marx, and various investigations have not yet been completed.

For those affected, the honor would be unbearable.

The office of the Federal President still held on to the award.

In his time as chairman of the German Bishops' Conference, Marx advocated justice and solidarity in a special way, explained a spokesman.

The cardinal had campaigned for the admission of refugees and took a stand against populism and agitation.

Marx should be honored for this.

At the same time, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier expected the unreserved clarification of the massive sexual abuse of children and young people in the Catholic Church, it had said.

Marx has been Archbishop of Munich and Freising since 2008.

From 2014 to 2020 he was chairman of the German Bishops' Conference.