Pedophilia in the Church: Benedict XVI will defend himself at trial in Germany

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI will defend himself in a German court against accusations of failing to intervene against a serial pedophile priest when he was Archbishop of Munich. Thanks to this decision by Ratzinger, who will present his defense to the judges, the trial on the matter will be able to continue. the pope emeritus does not run the risk of criminal implications, but your contribution will help to reconstruct what happened.

The complaint was filed years ago by a man, now 38, who claimed he was abused by a pedophile priestand it involves Ratzinger because at the time he was Archbishop of Munich and Freising (1977-1982).

The man also claimed to have been abused by a repeat priest, Peter H., in the town of Garching an der Alz. A dossier on the priest, released last January, refers to years of abuse; but instead of reporting what happened, the archdiocese is accused of having transferred the religious in other parishes, where abuses were committed against other victims.

At the moment, four complaints have been presented: in addition to the priest, already condemned, and Benedict XVI, Cardinal Friedrich Wetter, Ratzinger’s successor at the head of the archdiocese, and the archdiocese itself are involved. It is a civil action, since the matter has no more value in the criminal sphere.

“If the Catholic Church and the accused – with the exception of the well-known repeat offender Peter H. – stick to what is constantly asserted, namely upholding their Christian commitment and acknowledging the injustice committed, the cause will succeed,” he said. the plaintiff’s lawyer, Andreas Schulz. “If they don’t, the damage to their reputation will be even more severe and the Catholic Church will hasten the erosion of faith🇧🇷

If the pope emeritus had not declared himself willing to defend, he would have faced a sentence in absentia. Ratzinger relied on the Hogan Lovells law firm. The four defendants have asked for an extension, explained the spokeswoman for the Bavarian court, and have until January 24 to argue the defense at the content level.