Robert Zollitsch
His Excellency Robert Zollitsch | |
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Roman Catholic | |
| Motto | In fidei communione In the communion of faith |
| Coat of arms |  |
| Styles of Robert Zollitsch | |
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Your Excellency | |
| Religious style | Monsignor |
| Posthumous style | not applicable |
Robert Zollitsch (born 9 August 1938) is a German
In April 2023, the report of an independent commission investigating sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Freiburg showed that he hid files, transferred perpetrators and ignored church law.
Early life and education
Zollitsch was born in
Career
In 1974 and 1980 Zollitsch was elected to the general council of the Schoenstatt Institute. In 1983, he was named archdiocesan personnel manager for Freiburg im Breisgau. He became a member of the cathedral chapter in 1984 as well.
In June 2003, Zollitsch was appointed
On 12 February 2008, Zollitsch was elected to succeed Cardinal Lehmann as the
Zollitsch formerly sat on the Permanent Council and the Commission for Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Laity within the same episcopal conference.
Views and positions
As of 2008, according to Earth Times, Zollitsch had been considered to be a liberal in his convictions, and has described himself as being "theologically and personally" close to Cardinal Karl Lehmann.[1]
As of 2008, Zollitsch has accepted civil unions by states but was against the term "gay marriage".[2] As of 2013, he favoured women becoming deacons.[3] In 2009, he said in a statement he was working towards damage control in the wake of the controversy over negationist comments made by Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) bishop Richard Williamson.[4]
Catholic Church sexual abuse cases in Germany, 2010 - present
In March 2010 Zollitsch met with the Pope Benedict to further discuss the widening
Similar allegations then emerged at other Catholic schools and institutions in Germany, including a Benedictine monastery and several boarding schools. German Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger condemned the "wall of silence" within the Catholic hierarchy, accusing the church of hiding behind a 2001 Vatican directive that called for cases of abuse to be investigated internally before going to state authorities. "This directive makes clear that even serious abuse allegations fall under papal confidentiality and thus should not be forwarded on outside the church," she said.[6]
In April 2023, the report of an independent commission investigating sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Freiburg showed that he hid files, transferred perpetrators and ignored church law.[7][8]
Materialistic ostentation
In the wake of the 2013 ouster of Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst as bishop of Limburg, Zollitsch distinguished materialistic ostentation from the cost of supporting the church's ordinary administration: regarding his car, for example, he argued, "To me that car is not a status symbol; it is the office I use when I am traveling."[9][dead link]
References
- ^ a b Earth Times. German Catholic bishops elect new leader 12 February 2008
- ^ Wensierski, Peter; Berg, Stefan (2008-02-18). ""Es wäre eine Revolution"". Der Spiegel. Vol. 8. Retrieved 2018-02-12.
- ^ "Women Catholic deacons 'no longer taboo'". 2013-04-29. Retrieved 2018-02-12.
- ^ Jewish backlash against Vatican gathers pace
- ^ Press Office of the Holy See
- ISSN 0040-781X. Archived from the originalon March 14, 2010. Retrieved 2018-02-12.
- ^ Zeitung, Badische (2023-04-14). "Missbrauchsbericht Freiburg - Dossier" (in German). Retrieved 2023-04-20.
- ISSN 0174-4909. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
- ^ ncronline.org [1] Bishop's suspension a symptom of German Catholic church's wealth
External links
- Catholic-Hierarchy
- Deutsche Welle - "German Catholic Church Begins New Era With Unexpected Chief"
- Schoenstatt Movement
- Eugen Endress, Edgar Villwock Arbeitsgruppe „Machtstrukturen und Aktenanalyse“ der GE-Kommission zur Aufarbeitung sexuellen Missbrauchs in der Erzdiözese Freiburg 11 April 2023
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