Even when cases of abuse are dutifully reported to Rome, the diocese of Würzburg has often had to decide for itself how to proceed in the past. Bishop Jung of Würzburg would like to see more concrete action.
Bishop Franz Jung of Würzburg has criticised the way the Vatican’s religious authority deals with cases of abuse. When the diocese has reported cases to Rome and asked for recommendations for action, the response has usually been that the bishop should decide at his own discretion, Jung said in Würzburg on Monday. On the one hand, he could understand this, as it meant that the responsibility remained with the diocese. Nevertheless, he would like to see more concrete information and not a “see what you make of it” if there is this obligation to report. The bishop spoke at a press conference on the Würzburg abuse report presented just under a week ago.
He takes this duty to report very seriously, emphasised Jung. In the past, the diocese of Würzburg had in some cases proposed tougher measures against perpetrators, which had been softened by the religious authorities for various reasons. “These are things that have also irritated me in some cases. I have also repeatedly received feedback on this,” said the bishop. Further thought needs to be given to these processes.
Criticism of different expert opinions
Jung also criticised the fact that the dioceses in Germany had in some cases submitted very different reports with different methodological approaches. A standardised reappraisal project would actually have been in everyone’s interest. “But the dioceses have gone it alone and commissioned different institutions with the reappraisal.”
The Würzburg report deals with how the diocese dealt with sexual abuse in the years 1945 to 2019. It also found, among other things, that in the cases that the diocese had dutifully reported to the Roman authorities, it was often only told that the bishop should decide how to proceed. In addition, the Vatican had asked in several replies to avoid “annoyances”. The Independent Review Commission in the diocese had criticised the working methods and decisions of the authority and demanded that the diocese take appropriate action to bring about reforms.
