Zollitsch gives Federal Justice Minister 24 hours to retract comment

Zollitsch attacks Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger

The chairman of the Bishops' Conference, Robert Zollitsch, accuses Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger of a "serious attack on the Catholic Church". The Minister of Justice had criticised the Church for not cooperating constructively with law enforcement agencies in cases of suspicion.

Archbishop Robert Zollitsch: "Serious attack on the Catholic Church".

Robert Zollitsch defended himself: The Chairman of the German Bishops' Conference sharply attacked Federal Minister of Justice Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger (FDP) for her statements on the abuse cases that had come to light. Never before had there been a "similarly serious attack on the Catholic Church in politics", said the Archbishop on Tuesday in Freiburg on the occasion of the Spring Plenary meeting of the German bishops with regard to statements made by the minister in the ARD "Tagesthemen" on Monday evening.

In the interview, Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger had said that the Catholic Church had so far not given the impression that it wanted to co-operate constructively with law enforcement agencies in cases of suspicion. Zollitsch called the statements "undifferentiated and emotional". He said he expected Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger to retract them within 24 hours.

The minister had also suggested that the 120 or so cases of abuse that have now occurred were also from the recent past. The fact is that these cases date back 25 to 30 years. "I strongly oppose false factual claims and immoderate polemics," Zollitsch said. He had already left no doubt on Monday that all cases must be fully clarified. "The state authorities will be called in as quickly as possible," the bishop said. The public prosecutor's office would be given all the insights.

Zollitsch went on to say that he had written a letter to the FDP politician and also wanted to phone Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) on Tuesday. He said the Minister's remarks were unacceptable. "There are limits somewhere," he said.

The Federal Minister of Justice had already called on the German bishops to act in an interview with SPIEGEL.

"I expect concrete specifications from the Catholic Church as to what measures will be taken for a complete clarification," Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger told SPIEGEL. The FDP politician suggests ombudspersons and a round table of state, church and victim representatives. Such a body would be "a good way to clarify the numerous cases of abuse and to offer the Catholic Church the opportunity to enter into a discussion with the victims about voluntary compensation".

At the same time, Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger sharply criticised Augsburg Bishop Walter Mixa, who had held the so-called sexual revolution partly responsible for the abuse. It is "not very helpful when some responsible persons like Bishop Mixa hide behind polemical excuses instead of contributing to the clarification of the facts", the Minister said.

Source

Cathcon: 2023 has proved the Federal Justice Minister correct to the disgrace of the Archbishop