Cardinal Woelki summoned to testify in Cologne Court

Cardinal Woelki has to go to court

The Cologne District Court has decided that the Cardinal must testify in court in the process of the dispute with the Axel Springer publishing house.

For some time now, the Cologne District Court has been dealing with the dispute between Cologne Archbishop Rainer Maria Cardinal Woelki and the Axel Springer publishing house. As of today it is clear: Woelki has to go to court.

It is about what the Archbishop knew about a priest and his lewd acts on minors before promoting him. The legal dispute is about two documents, a police report and a record of a conversation. For many observers, however, it is more about the big picture.

Now it's official. What many suspected is happening. There will be an important date in the dispute between the Cologne cardinal and the Axel Springer publishing house. The cardinal, i.e. the Plaintiff, is invited as a party to another hearing where he is supposed to answer questions.

Incriminating witnesses

The court had already summoned one witness and one witness. You were questioned in court some time ago. The former secretary of Woelki's predecessor, Cardinal Meisner, said, for example, that she spoke to the current Cardinal many years ago about the priest's preferences.

For example, that the clergyman reported visits to the sauna with acolytes or that the secretary went to holiday camps to admonish the priest when he became lewd towards young people again. She told Woelki that in a telephone conversation at the time.

The second witness was the Archdiocese's former abuse officer. He said that he had spoken to Woelki several times about the allegations against the priest. However, this does not yet prove the core of the legal dispute, because it is about the two documents.

Had Woelki read or known them or not? The witnesses could not prove this in court. A few months ago, Woelki announced through his press office that he only knew of rumors about the priest.

Other court cases

Woelki and the Axel Springer publishing house are also arguing about other points. The Cologne Higher Regional Court is dealing with reports from the Bild newspaper in the second instance. The first decisions will be made there in the coming week.

Before the Cologne district court, the first instance, a decision was made on Wednesday: It comes to the "evidence decision". That means more evidence needs to be gathered. Now it is certain: The cardinal will be personally summoned to court and questioned.

Investigations are ongoing

The public prosecutor's office is still investigating against the Cologne cardinal. In two cases, there is a suspicion of making false statements. It concerns the priest who Woelki promoted in 2017, but also the case of the former Sternsinger boss Winfried Pilz. In this matter, Woelki asserts that he only dealt with the allegations of abuse by the clergyman in the summer of 2022.

A church employee contradicted this statement and said in an interview that she had already given Woelki a list of accused priests in 2015, which also included the name Pilz. It is not yet possible to conclude the investigation.

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