Status: 12/12/2022 1:42 p.m
Because of the way he deals with sexual abuse, the affected council has filed a complaint against the Osnabrück bishop. Franz-Josef Bode has now commented on this.
The bishop made a statement in a press release after reporting by NDR Lower Saxony. It shows that he respects and supports the ad. He also wants to forward to Rome a study by the University of Osnabrück, in which the diocese is accused of serious breaches of duty towards those affected. It goes on to say: “I will of course face the result of this investigation.” He also wanted to continue to seek dialogue with those affected and the Council of Affected Persons.
Advice for those affected: the bishop does not act in a victim-oriented manner
According to the North German Council for Affected Persons, the reason for the – canonical – complaint is two recently known cases of sexualised violence, which Franz-Josef Bode declared as a “love affair” and thus adopted the words of the alleged perpetrator. Among other things, it was about one Case in Ostercappeln – a priest is said to have abused a girl there for years. The Council of Affected has asked Bishop Bode to answer – far from purely criminal standards. Although progress can be seen in the diocese of Osnabrück, it is still not sufficiently victim-oriented.
Archbishop forwards complaint to Vatican
The North Council of Affected Persons contacted Archbishop Stefan Hesse of Hamburg with his complaint. According to canon law, this presides over the North German dioceses of Hamburg, Hildesheim and Osnabrück. Hesse has already forwarded the complaint to the relevant bodies in Rome. A papal letter from 2019 provides for this path, which regulates the handling of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. According to the Pope’s instructions, the Roman authorities have 30 days to respond to the complaint.
Abuse study sees omissions at Bode
In September, the University of Osnabrück published a study on sexual abuse in the diocese of Osnabrück. The authors accused the diocese of serious breaches of duty towards those affected – even during Bishop Bode’s tenure. He then admitted that he had been “blind” and wanted to take responsibility. He refused to resign.
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