Creditors demand a vote on Woelki’s future
The Cologne Cardinal Wölki is before his resumption of office on Ash Wednesday for talks in Rome. He is accompanied by demands from creditors to have more say in his future.
Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki from Cologne arrived in Rome on Wednesday for talks. As the “Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger” reported on Thursday, citing diocese circles, a meeting with the prefect of the Bishops’ Congregation, Cardinal Marc Ouellet, is planned. It was initially not known whether Woelki WILL also receive an audience with Pope Francis.
Woelki is currently on a five-month “spiritual break”. This phase ends on March 2nd (Ash Wednesday). Despite all the reservations and protests, Woelki then wants to return to his post – and according to the Archdiocese, he wants to celebrate a mass in Cologne Cathedral on the same day. The diocesan council, which represents the laity, has called for the faithful to be involved in the decision on Woelki’s return.
Cologne: Catholics want a say in Woelki’s future
At the beginning of the week, Catholics in Cologne asked for a survey of believers about Woelki’s future in the archdiocese. The reason for this was, among other things, reform decisions of the so-called synodal path of the Catholic Church, which had agreed on more participation and a stronger deviation of the believers at the weekend.
The relationship between Woelki and the central bodies of the largest German diocese is considered to be completely broken. The new media director Christoph Hardt, whom Woelki had only hired shortly before the start of his sabbatical, is leaving two days before the cardinal’s return.
Last year, two of the Pope’s representatives examined the situation in the Archdiocese of Cologne. Pope Francis then came to the conclusion that although Woelki had made “big mistakes”, he was still allowed to remain in office. Many had hoped that he would not expect more after the break.