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PDF versionMunich archdiocese official resigns
Mar. 16, 2010
MUNICH, Germany -- An official of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising responsible for a priest who has become the focus of the German sexual abuse scandal has resigned and the priest has been suspended from active ministry by the archdiocese.
Father Joseph Obermeier, head of pastoral care for the archdiocese, resigned March 15 at the request of Archbishop Reinhard Marx, according to an archdiocesan statement.
The archdiocese suspended the priest, who was named only as "H." in a statement but was identified as Father Peter Hullermann in published reports. He was accused of sexual abuse of a child in 1980 and was convicted in 1986 of sexually abusing children. The priest was serving in the Bavarian resort town of Bad Tolz when the suspension was announced.
See related story: Papal silence on crisis troubles German Catholics
The archdiocese said Father Obermeier was asked to resign because he had not fulfilled his duties in monitoring the priest's activities.
The steps taken by the archdiocese were the latest developments in the evolving German sexual abuse crisis. The actions followed published reports that Father Hullermann had been assigned to ministries in Bavaria where he was in contact with children since his conviction.
Pope Benedict XVI was archbishop of Munich at the time Father Hullermann first arrived in the archdiocese in 1980 from Essen Diocese to undergo treatment following the first abuse allegation made against him. Then-Archbishop Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict, approved the transfer that called for Father Hullermann to live in a parish rectory.
While he was undergoing treatment, Father Gerhard Gruber, vicar general at the time, assigned Father Hullermann to a Munich parish, contrary to what had been agreed to when the future pope approved the transfer, the archdiocese said in a March 12 statement.
Father Gruber took "full responsibility" for the assignment March 12, saying that the future Pope Benedict knew nothing about it, according to a statement from the Vatican.
After his treatment concluded in September 1982, Father Hullermann was assigned as associate pastor of a parish in Grafing. While assigned there, new allegations of abuse arose in January 1985, resulting in charges of child sexual abuse being filed against the priest. Father Hullermann was convicted and fined about $1,000 and sentenced to 18 months probation.
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The German daily newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported March 13 that Father Hullermann was assigned to a parish ministry that allowed him to be in contact with children, including Mass servers, following his conviction. The assignments included a year as chaplain at a retirement home and associate pastor and then administrator of a parish in Garching/Alz.
In May 2008 Father Hullermann left the parish at the request of Archbishop Marx and was assigned as chaplain at the congregation in Bad Tolz, the archdiocese said.
Archdiocesan officials were unaware of any incidents of abuse after the 1986 conviction, according to the archdiocese.
Pope Benedict XVI has to
Pope Benedict XVI has to resign and has to be prosecuted for obstructing justice, for attempting to silence and stall victims of priests/bishops abuses, for aiding and enabling clergy pedophiles to continue to abuse new victims by procedures of transferring criminal clergy to other parishes, even countries.
Pope Benedict XVI is a criminal too and must be prosecuted as an enabler of sex abuse and as an obstructor of justice, hiding evidence and instructing clergy especially bishops, to hide evidence, to hide criminal priests and bishops, to allow pedophile priests/bishops to continue to abuse Catholic children and other vulnerable people, such as seminarians, youths, disabled, depressed, poor and the orphaned, all chosen by clergy pedophiles for sex abuse.
Prosecute the pope for these crimes too.
"The archdiocese said Father
"The archdiocese said Father Obermeier was asked to resign because he had not fulfilled his duties in monitoring the priest's activities."
http://www.thelocal.de/national/20100316-25897.html
No, he was asked to resign because THEY GOT CAUGHT and former CDF director Joseph Ratzinger's 2001 ULTIMATE criterion of SECRECY was violated so "the Church" needed a public scapegoat to take the fall for Ratzinger.
http://crooksandliars.com/john-amato/problems-bill-donohue-cant-make-go-...
Why did FR.Hullermann have to
Why did FR.Hullermann have to resign now? After all these years being protected, he has to resign because the press found out? Ratzinger certainly displays a strong sense of moral leadership. To put in words that the traditionalists understand; thou shall cop a plea when caught. I sure hope this does'nt impede the investigation of the wicked nuns in America.
Being told to fall on a sword
Being told to fall on a sword must be one hell of a painful experience.
One can only ponder the possible role of the pope and/or a Vatican flunkey in this latest development out of Germany.
Any chance that Obermeier will get a cushy post in Rome like Cardinal Law?
(Oh, wait a minute, Obermeier is just a priest, not a hierarch.)
I agree so wholeheartedly
I agree so wholeheartedly with your excellent, to-the-point comment, Alicia, that I took the liberty to reproduce here, in extenso.
"Pope Benedict XVI has to resign and has to be prosecuted for obstructing justice, for attempting to silence and stall victims of priests/bishops abuses, for aiding and enabling clergy pedophiles to continue to abuse new victims by procedures of transferring criminal clergy to other parishes, even countries.
Pope Benedict XVI is a criminal too and must be prosecuted as an enabler of sex abuse and as an obstructer of justice, hiding evidence and instructing clergy especially bishops, to hide evidence, to hide criminal priests and bishops, to allow pedophile priests/bishops to continue to abuse Catholic children and other vulnerable people, such as seminarians, youths, disabled, depressed, poor and the orphaned, all chosen by clergy pedophiles for sex abuse."
Prosecute the pope for these crimes too.
Let us consider what the
Let us consider what the story indicates:
Pope Benedict XVI was archbishop of Munich at the time Father Hullermann first arrived in the archdiocese in 1980 from Essen Diocese to undergo treatment following the first abuse allegation made against him. Then-Archbishop Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict, approved the transfer that called for Father Hullermann to live in a parish rectory.
So it is clear that Cardinal Ratzinger was aware of the priest, and of the circumstances by which he came to Munich. Now the question is whether he was a "guest" of the diocese or whether he was incardinated by the Archbishop of
Munich.
If the latter, why? A priest may reside in a diocese in which he is not providing sacramental services without being incardinated to do so. Why would he be incardinated at the time of his physical move if there was no intention to assign him to ministry in the Munich archdiocese?
While he was undergoing treatment, Father Gerhard Gruber, vicar general at the time, assigned Father Hullermann to a Munich parish, contrary to what had been agreed to when the future pope approved the transfer, the archdiocese said in a March 12 statement.
Are we to believe that the Vicar General of the diocese did not know the will of the Archbishop?
Again, we need to be presented with the evidence, namely the original correspondences and incardination papers regarding this priest which can be verified and dated by an independent third party.
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