Report: Cardinal Woelki would step down if implicated in abuse cover-ups

Title: Report: Cardinal Woelki would step down if implicated in abuse cover-ups

Author: CNS Staff

Publisher: Crux (via CNS)

Date: 30OCT2020

COLOGNE, Germany — Cologne Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki would resign from his office if the sexual abuse study he commissioned implicated him in any cover-ups, according to the Cologne Archdiocese.The German Catholic news agency KNA said the archdiocese was confirming a report in the local Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger newspaper that Woelki had expressed this intention before the diocesan pastoral council in November 2018. The aim of the study is to identify by name those who were involved in sexual abuse.

“This does not exempt Cardinal Woelki, and he would face up to his responsibility and accept the consequences,” the archdiocese said.