AFP
Germany's Archbishop probed on suspicion of abetting child abuse
Prosecutors said yesterday they were probing Germany's top Archbishop on suspicion of abetting child abuse, in the case of a man who said he was molested in the 1960s with the clergyman's knowledge.
German Episcopal Conference chief Robert Zollitsch is being investigated for allegedly turning a blind eye to the abuse by a priest, public prosecutor Wolfgang Maier in the southern city of Freiburg, said.
The Freiburg diocese said Dr Zollitsch strongly denied the charges.
ARD public television reported earlier that the alleged victim said he was abused at the Birnau Monastery in the Freiburg diocese, where Dr Zollitsch was employed.
Prosecutors said the man accused Dr Zollitsch, who was responsible for human resources in the diocese, of learning of the abuse but nevertheless assuring that the priest was employed again at Birnau in 1987.
Mr Maier said the case had been passed on to the state prosecutor's office in Konstanz, southern Germany "without further review" because an investigation of the priest was already underway there.
"That is why I cannot comment on the substance of the accusations," he said.
A spokesman for the Konstanz prosecutor's office said yesterday that the files had not yet arrived.
A Freiburg diocese spokesman said that Dr Zollitsch had not ordered the priest to be employed at Birnau, saying the monastery operated "independently".
"The accusations of criminal behaviour by Robert Zollitsch in connection with the Birnau Monastery are without foundation," he said.
In common with other European countries, Germany has been rocked in recent months by revelations that hundreds of children were physically or sexually abused in institutions, the vast majority run by the Roman Catholic Church.
The scandal has badly damaged the standing of the Church in Germany, and also of the German-born Pope, five years after his appointment as leader of the world's 1.1 billion Catholics was a source of great national pride.
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William P Flynn
Jun 3rd 2010, 12:20
"were probing" and "is being investigated" seem to be in need of revision.
According to all reports except this one, the Archbishop has actually been charged.
renald williams
Jun 3rd 2010, 10:46
Jesus Priests Bishops
Christians wanting to be Bishops... peace and health wishes to all
Il-Katekizmu tal-Knisja Kattolika
Pagna 348 Paragrafu 1577
Ara 1 Tim 3:1-13, Titus 1:5-9.
1 Tim 3:1-13. - L-ghazla ta’ l-isqof. - Din kelma ta’ min joqghod fuqha… Jehtieg, imma, li l-isqof… li jkun ragel ta’ mara… li jkun ragel jaf imexxi tajjeb id-dar tieghu; u li jzomm lil uliedu… Ghax jekk wiehed ma jkunx jaf imexxi ‘l daru stess, kif jista’ jiehu hsieb il-Knisja ta’ Alla?
L-ghazla tad-djakni. - Hekk ukoll id-djakni… Hekk ukoll in-nisa taghhom… Id-djakni jkunu rgiel li ma jkunux mizzewgin ma’ aktar minn mara wahda, u li jkunu jafu jmexxu ‘l uliedhom u ‘l djarhom sewwa.
Titus 1:5-9. - Tahtar presbiteri f’kull belt, skond ma ordnajtlek. Kull min ikun mahtur… ikun ragel ta’ mara wahda, u jkollu uliedu jemmnu… L-isqof… ghandu jkun… bniedem li jzomm shih mal-kelma.
Uhud jitilqu mill-fidi, billi jaghtu widen… ghal taghlim tad-demonji … ma jridux zwieg.
1 Timotju 4:1-3.
Ha jkun imweggah iz-zwieg f’kollox. Lhud 13:4.
Callistus – The Refutation of all Heresies 9.7.
isqfijiet u djakni…jkunu mizzewgin.
Socrates Scholasticus - Ecclesiastical History 5:22.
l-isqfijiet ikollhom tfal min-nisa taghhom
renald williams
Jun 3rd 2010, 10:44
Jesus Priests Bishops
Jesus makes All Christians Priests... peace and health wishes to you all
Il-Katekizmu tal-Knisja Kattolika
Pagna 201 Paragrafu 784
Kristu l-Mulej… ghamel mill-Poplu gdid saltna u qassisin ghal Alla Missieru.
Pagna 206 Paragrafu 803
Intom gens mahtur, sacerdozju regali, nazzjon qaddis, poplu li Alla kiseb ghalih.
Pagna 287 Paragrafu 1141
Dan is-sacerdozzju komuni ta’ kulhadd hu s-sacerdozju ta’ Kristu, li hu wahdu l-Qassis, sacerdozju li fih ghandha sehem il-membri kollha tieghu.
Tertulljanu (160–240). On Prayrer 28
Ahna (L-Kristjani kollha) dawk li nqimu fil-verita’, u l-qassisin ta’ veru…
Intom mibnijin bini spiritwali bhala sacerdozzju qaddis. 1 Pietru 2:5.
Imma intom gens mahtur, sacerdozju rjali, nazzjon qaddis, poplu miksub; biex ixxandru t-tifhir ta’ dak li sejhilkom mid-dlam ghad-dawl tieghu [ta’ Gesu’ Kristu] tal-ghageb. 1 Pietru 2:9.
Gesu’… ghamilna qassisin ghal Alla. Amen. Rivelazzjoni (bil-Grieg Apokalissi) 1:6.
U ghamiltna ghal Alla taghna saltna u qassisin. Rivelazzjoni (bil-Grieg Apokalissi) 5:10.
Imma jkunu qassisin t’Alla u ta’ Kristu. Rivelazzjoni (bil-Grieg Apokalissi) 20:6.
renald williams
Jun 3rd 2010, 10:43
Jesus-Priests-Bishops… peace health
Il-Katekizmu tal-Knisja Kattolika
Pagna 43 Paragrafu-540
Hu ghalhekk li Kristu rebah ix-xitan ghalina. Ghax ahna ma ghandniex qassis il-kbir li ma jistax jaghder id-dghufija taghha, imma ghandna wiehed li kien imgarrab bhalna f’kollox minbarra d-dnub.
Pagna 173 Paragrafu-662
Gesu’, il-Qassis wahdieni tal-Patt il-Gdid u ghal dejjem ma dahalx f’santwarju maghmul b’idejn il-bnedmin… imma dahal fis-sema stess, biex issa jidher ghalina quddiem Alla. Kristu fis-sema jaqdi dejjem is-sacerdozju tieghu, dejjem haj biex jidhol ghal dawk li bih jersqu lejn Alla.
Pagna 201 Paragrafu-784
Kristu l-Mulej, il-Qassis il-kbir mehud minn fost il-bnedmin.
Imma dal-bniedem [Gesu’], ghax jibqa’ ghal dejjem, ghandu sacerdozju li ma jista’ jghaddi ghand hadd. Lhud 7:24, 17.
Ghalhekk kien jahtieglu [Gesu’]… biex isir qassis il-kbir. Lhud 2:17.
Ghandna qassis il-kbir hekk gholi, li dahal fis-smewwiet, Gesu’ Bin Alla, ha nzommu shih l-istqarrija tal-fidi taghna. Lhud 4:14.
Kristu… isir qassis il-kbir… Imsejjah minn Alla bhala qassis il-kbir. Lhud 5:5, 10.
Gesu’, li sar qassis il-kbir ghal dejjem. Lhud 6:20.
Gesu’… qassis il-kbir bhal dan. Lhud 7:26.
Ghandna bhala qassis il-kbir, wiehed [Gesu’]. Lhud 8:1.
Kristu billi gie qassis il-kbir… Lhud 9:11.
Gesu’… ghandna qassis il-kbir fuq id-dar t’Alla; Ha nersqu b’qalb sinciera bil-milja kollha tal-fidi. Lhud 10:21-22.