Cologne Advisory Board: Desperation via abuse debate!

Cologne Advisory Board: Desperation via abuse debate!

Köln, Deutschland - Cologne. On October 31, 2024, the new advisory board of the Archdiocese of Cologne was officially launched. This is made up of six members who will remain in office by the end of October 2026. Her appointment, which was carried out by Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, underlines the importance of her task in the context of the systematic processing of sexual abuse. The advisory board is supported by a consultant staff that consists of external experts. This advisory board has already acted actively with topics such as prevention work and spiritual abuse and is planning events to remember and clarify abuse, such as the recently carried out memorial event "in the middle of the storm", which took place on November 19, the Archbistum Cologne .

At the same time, the advisory board is confronted with violent criticism, especially with regard to the public debate about sexual abuse within the church. In an explanation, the advisory board rejected the instrumentalization of its experiences through church policy discussions. Peter Bringmann-Henselder, the former spokesman for the body, emphasized that the ongoing media-effective arguments about abuse are increasingly painful for the members. Within the position of the advisory board, a factual dialogue is asked instead of losing their voices in a persistent "media spectacle". The person concerned also expressed that despite criticism of the management of the archbishopric, their ideas for creating an expert opinion could be brought in by themselves, which is considered a positive step, according to the reporting of katholisch.de .

The advisory board, however, is not alone, because the internal dynamics are additionally fueled by the critical votes of former members. The debates about their current and previous representatives raise questions that are not only relevant for the work of the advisory board, but also personally stressful. Critics fear that such clashes will push the necessary work -up of sexual abuse within the church. However, the public discussion should now be carried out more effectively and respectfully in order to maintain the interests of those affected and to ensure clarity and transparency.