By Salvatore Cernuzio
Munich: German Cardinal Reinhard Marx on May 4 asked Pope Francis to accept his resignation as head of the Archdiocese of Munich-Freising, saying he “is willing to personally bear responsibility” not only for his own mistakes in dealing with the clerical abuse scandal, but also for the institutional errors of the Church.
Cardinal Reinhard Marx speaks of “personal failures” and “administrative mistakes”, but also of “an institutional or ‘systematic’ failure” in the handling of the crisis of clerical sexual abuse in Germany, in a letter to Pope Francis in which he submitted his resignation as archbishop of Munich and Freising.
A “personal declaration” from the Cardinal, posted on the Archdiocesan website, says the Pope has authorized the publication of the letter: Pope Francis, the statement reads, “has now informed me that this letter may be published and that I should keep performing my service as a bishop until his decision is made.”
In his letter of resignation, Cardinal Marx reflects on the crisis facing the Church in Germany: a crisis, he says, that arose not only from external causes, but “also caused by our personal failure, by our own guilt.” “My impression,” he says, “is that we are at a ‘dead end’ which – and this is my paschal hope – also has the potential of becoming a ‘turning point’.”
The cardinal explains that has been considering resignation for the past year. In his personal declaration, he goes into more detail: “In the past months, I have repeatedly thought about my resignation, introspected and tried to make the right decision in prayer and in the spiritual dialogue by ‘discerning the spirits.”
He explains to the Pope that, “in essence, it is important to me to share the responsibility for the catastrophe of the sexual abuse by Church officials over the past decades.”
In the past few months, Cardinal Marx had approached the Westpfahl Spilker Wastl firm – the same firm that had been commissioned for the first investigation of pedophilia cases in the Archdiocese of Cologne – to draw up a report on abuse in the Church of Munich and Freising, pledging to not intervene to influence the final results. Last year, the Cardinal established a foundation in his diocese called “Spes et Salus” to offer “healing and reconciliation” to all victims of sexual violence. He also donated most of his private assets to the foundation.
In his letter to the Pope, published May 4 in several languages, Cardinal Marx refers to “investigations” and “reports” over the past ten years, which, he stresses, “have consistently shown that there have been many personal failures and administrative mistakes but also institutional or ‘systemic’ failure.” The Cardinal also looks critically at the most recent controversies and discussions which, in his opinion, show that “some members of the Church refuse to believe that there is a shared responsibility in this respect and that the Church as an institution is hence also to be blamed for what has happened”. Consequently, he said, they “disapprove of discussing reforms and renewal in the context of the sexual abuse crisis”.
A reform of the Church
According to the cardinal, there are two aspects that have to be considered: “mistakes for which you are personally responsible and the institutional failure which requires changes and a reform of the Church.” Cardinal Marx, instead, is convinced that a “turning point out of the crisis … is only possible if we take a ‘synodal path’, a path which actually enables a ‘discernment of spirits’.”
The damaged reputation of the bishops
Looking back over his 42 years as a priest and 25 years as a bishop – 20 of them as ordinary of a large diocese – and in the light of this long experience in the Church, Cardinal Marx says “it is painful… to witness the severe damage to the bishops’ reputation in the ecclesiastical and secular perception, which may even be at its lowest” point. In his view, “to assume responsibility, it is therefore not enough, in my opinion, to react only and exclusively if the files provide proof of the mistakes and failures of individuals.” Instead, he said, “We as bishops have to make clear that we also represent the institution of the Church as a whole.”
The greatest fault of the past: Overlooking the victims
Nor should one, the cardinal says, “simply link these problems largely to past times and former Church officials, thereby ‘burying’ what happened”. Cardinal Marx says he feels “personally guilty and responsible” for keeping silent, for omissions, and for focusing too much on the reputation of the Church. “Only after 2002 and even more since 2010, those affected by sexual abuse have been brought to the fore more consequently and this change of perspective has not yet been completed,” he says, adding that, “Overlooking and disregarding the victims was certainly our greatest fault of the past.”
A signal for a new beginning
“We have failed,” Cardinal Marx reiterates, frankly acknowledging that “we” includes himself personally. That, he says, is why he is submitting his resignation: as an opportunity to express his willingness to take responsibility, and also as a “personal signal for a new beginning, for a new awakening of the Church, not only in Germany.”
“I would like to show that it is not the office that is in the forefront but the mission of the Gospel. This too is part of pastoral care,” he says in conclusion. Insisting that he continues “to enjoy being a priest and a bishop, he commits himself to pastoral activity, wherever the Pope deems it “reasonable and useful,” and to increasingly dedicate himself to “pastoral care” and to support the work of spiritual renewal of the Church.
Roles in the Church
Cardinal Marx has served as a member of the Council of Cardinals since it was established by Pope Francis in 2013 to assist him in the governance of the universal Church and to study and implement the project for the reform of the Roman Curia.
In 2014, Pope Francis also appointed him coordinator of the Council for the Economy. Earlier, in 2012, he was elected chairman of the German Bishops’ Conference, a post he held until February 2020, when he announced that he would not stand for another term during the general assembly in March.
Source: vaticannews.va
This is nothing new in Catholic Institution and I will state as well that very challenging for the clergies to maintain chastity throughout their life because they follow a kind of unnatural life. it is very easy for us to point the finger at them. On the other hand, have we all been able to maintain that covenant even after marriage? However, if we want to stay in any institutions permanently, it is advisable to follow the CODE OF CONDUCT.
Church dignitaries of all different Countries have Contact….but they are not Connected among themselves.
Chhotebhai has hit the nail on the head. The Indian Church Hierarchy particularly the likes of Bishops (an aberration) Franco Mulakkal and K.A. William will never make such admissions as Cardinal Marx has done. They believe until and unless one is proven guilty, one is innocent. And the only way to prove this is to drag these priests & bishops to a court of law. Sadly even our courts are influenced by white cassocks / red robes, as the snail’s pace of Mulakkal’s on-going (is it on? No one knows.) case has shown. While the culprits rule the roost, the victims continue to suffer in silence. One root cause why the Indian Church Hierarchy look the other way, is these corrupt bishops bring in a lot of money (Profit Centres) to its coffer. CBCI has a hand in this systemic corruption as it too gets a share of this booty. Indeed the Indian Church too has reached a “Dead End” as Cardinal Marx has mentioned of the Church of Germany.
Several such corruptions in the Archdiocese of Calcutta have gone unreported to the Vatican. One such classic case is a video which is doing rounds in the social media. A video purportedly released by the Director of the Social Service arm of the Archdiocese of Calcutta shows the Director highlighting the activities of his Organisation during the Pandemic. One of the activities is Prevention of Trafficking in Bengal. He makes a fervent appeal to the public to donate generously to Manos Unidas (a Spanish Agency which has been sponsoring Anti-trafficking programme). The question is how can he ask Indian citizens to donate to Manos Unidas which is a Spanish Agency? Name of the agency, appears in the Annual Reports of this Kolkata-based Organisation of which the Archbishop is Chairman. Interestingly, the Annual Reports (100+ pages) published on the Associations’s website do not show the Balance Sheet, Income & Expenses Account and Receipt & Payments Account.
Coming back to Cardinal Marx’s bemoaning “Systemic Failure”, it does not happen on its own. It is the men/women in the system who make it happen and who can cleanse it too, as Jesus did with a whip in his hand.
Resignation does not solve anything. It simply is a pause until next case gets revealed. Catholic Church is long overdue for a total makeover.
It’s most shocking to hear of Cardinal Marx’s resignation to Pope Francis. He played an important role in Church leadership nearly a decade now. He spearheaded d drive in 2012 to set up d centre for Child protection (CCP) in conjunction with d pontifical Gregorian university. He was d major influence behind establishing d Pontifical Commission of Minors. He had been most determined Church leader in facing d crisis head on n towards Church reform. For him it was his experience of Church on ‘dead end’. His expectations of Church leadership is to make this a turning point n to draw out “Synodal path”. His genuine voicing of d concern “I feel that through remaining silent neglecting to act n over focusing on D reputation of d church, I hv made myself personally guilty n responsible”. He feels d pinch of institutional n systemic failure. He has set before d Church leadership a true model. He has taken upon himself d blame for administrative mistakes. A great gesture on his part to set a tone for d Church hierarchy across d globe n particularly for Indian hierarchy. He was one of d prominent members of d council of Cardinals, coordinator of d Economy Chairman of Getman Bishop’s conference. He was deeply involved with Holy Father Pope Francis in d project for d Reform of Roman Curia. Let’s pray earnestly that Jesus help our Church leadership. It’s our time for introspection n discernment .
The resignation of Cardinal Reinhard Marx is a welcome gesture and it is greatly appreciated. His resignation sends out a strong message to other authorities of the Catholic Church in different countries.
Message to the erring Cardinals, Arch/bishops, priests and nuns in India:
OWN YOUR RESPONSIBILITY for the rampant clerical sexual abuses, caste-based politics and various types of corruptions within the church/congregation/institutions and STEP DOWN.
PURIFICATION of the church is the need of the hour.
Such humility is rarely to be found in our Indian prelates.