Pope declines resignation of German archbishop
September 15, 2021
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CWN Editor's Note: Pope Francis has declined to accept the resignation of Archbishop Stefan Hesse of Hamburg, who had been criticized for his handling of sex-abuse cases. A Vatican-ordered inquiry into the Archdiocese of Cologne, where Archbishop Hesse had previously been an administration, faulted him for “procedural errors” in abuse cases but concluded that he had not covered up evidence. The investigation thus confirmed the claim of Archbishop Hesse, who—while he admitted to errors—insisted that he had never concealed the truth about abuse cases.
Archbishop Hesse had offered his resignation in March. Pope Francis instead authorized a “time out” while the investigation continued.
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