Freiburg (dpa / lsw) – The old Archbishop of Freiburg Robert Zollitsch (84), who was burdened by an abuse study, returns his Federal Cross of Merit and other high awards. This was explained by Zollitsch’s spokesman on Friday. The former chairman of the Catholic German Bishops’ Conference turned to Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier for the Federal Cross of Merit. Zollitsch received the award in 2014 from Steinmeier’s predecessor, Joachim Gauck. Reasons for the return were not given. The once powerful churchman is also parting with two high awards from the state of Baden-Württemberg. Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) confirmed this.
The report published on Tuesday about sexual abuse by clergymen in the Archdiocese of Freiburg concludes that Zollitsch’s tenure until 2013 was characterized by “concrete cover-up behavior”. From February 2008 to March 2014, Zollitsch also led the German Bishops’ Conference. So at that time he was the face and voice of the Catholic Church Deutschland.
The 84-year-old had already admitted serious mistakes and personal guilt in a video in October. Even before the report was published, Zollitsch announced through the spokesman that he did not want to comment on the final report.
As the spokesman explained further, the old archbishop also renounced the privilege of being buried in the bishop’s crypt of the Freiburg Cathedral. He informed his successor in office, Stephan Burger. According to a statement, Zollitsch had “quietly not exercised his other episcopal privileges” for some time. The Archdiocese of Freiburg takes note of Zollitsch’s most recent statement, but does not comment further, a spokesman said.
The large archdiocese with around 1.8 million Catholics has kept its distance from Zollitsch since the report was published. So the diocese leadership decided on Thursday to hang up the portraits of Zollitsch and his deceased predecessor Oskar Saier in the bishopric.
One author of the report said that as archbishop at the time, Zollitsch had omitted everything that would have been required by canon law. Actually obligatory reports of abuse cases to Rome were omitted.
Former Federal Minister of Justice Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger called for the Church to a more comprehensive insight. “It is now up to the church institutions not only to apologize, but to acknowledge the crimes that have occurred and to better compensate the victims financially for the injustice they have suffered,” said the FDP politician “Badische Tagblatt” and the “Badische Latest News” ( Saturday).
In Stuttgart, Kretschmann announced that Zollitsch’s office had offered to return the Staufer medal and the state’s Order of Merit. He expressed shock at the results of the abuse study. “The victims of the abuse have been helplessly exposed to this obvious failure of church structures for years. That shocks me.” The head of government demanded that the processing must be continued consistently.
In April 2011, Zollitsch received the state’s Order of Merit from the then Prime Minister Stefan Mappus (CDU) – this is the highest award that the state can bestow. In 2014, Zollitsch received the Great Staufer Medal in gold from Kretschmann.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:230421-99-397173/5
