The acting administrator of the Archdiocese of Cologne, Auxiliary Bishop Rolf Steinhäuser, considers it uncertain whether Rainer Maria Cardinal Woelki will return permanently to the head of the Archdiocese.
In fact, there will be a trial period after Woelki's four-month “break” at the beginning of March 2022, Steinhäuser said in an interview with the Kölner-Stadt-Anzeiger and other regional newspapers on Saturday.
“There is a relatively tight window of time, after which it will be clear what opportunities people will give him and how they will then position themselves.
They either go along with it again, resign, revolt or go into confusion. ”The Vatican will also“ take a close look ”during this time.
Thomas Jansen
Editor in politics.
Follow I follow
Steinhäuser also did not rule out that he could come to the conclusion in his final report to the Vatican that he no longer saw a future for Woelki in the Archdiocese of Cologne. “That is also conceivable. For me that is part of my openness and I owe it to myself, ”he said. He will give the Vatican "clear and unadorned feedback". He called his commission to pacify the archbishopric a "mission impossible". In Rome it was made clear to him that his possibilities were "clearly limited".
The current mood in the archbishopric was described by the 69-year-old clergyman, who has been auxiliary bishop in Cologne since 2015, as "taking a breath".
At the thought of the cardinal's return, many people are unsure how things will go next.
The conflicts in the diocese are "not resolved, but there is now a good basis for discussion".
The diocesan council, the highest lay body in the archbishopric, recently announced that the level of discussion with Steinhäuser was good.
The conflict with the diocese leadership could not be resolved with Steinhäuser because his term of office was too short.
Talks with Woelki are necessary, according to the chairman of the diocesan council, the Lord Mayor of Solingen, Tim Kurzbach (SPD).
After an investigation ordered by him, Pope Francis decided in September that Woelki should remain in office, but should take a “spiritual break” until the beginning of March.
Woelki did not allow himself to be legally guilty and did not want to cover up anything.
However, the Pope attested that he had made “major mistakes” in coming to terms with sexual abuse, which would have led to a serious crisis of confidence in the archdiocese.
Previously, on behalf of the Pope, two bishops had examined the way the archdiocese dealt with sexual abuse in a so-called apostolic visitation.
Steinhäuser was entrusted by the Pope during Woelkis' "time out" as a so-called Apostolic Administrator until March 1, 2022 with the provisional management of the Archdiocese.