Public Outcry in Germany: Petition Urging Removal of Cardinal Woelki Surpasses 60,000 Signatures
German Catholics appeal to Pope Leo XIV, accusing the Cologne archbishop of moral corruption and failure to address clerical abuse, while the archdiocese dismisses the charges as baseless.
A growing petition launched in Germany is calling for the removal of Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, Archbishop of Cologne, citing his alleged moral failure and loss of credibility after years of scandal concerning the mishandling of clerical sexual abuse cases. As of early June, over 60,130 people had signed the petition, which is addressed directly to Pope Leo XIV.¹
Initiated by a priest from Munich, the petition argues that Woelki is guilty of “moral corruption” and has **“lost all credibility in the public sphere and the Church at large.”**² It cites as cause for canonical removal the cardinal’s decision to pay €26,000 (approx. $29,700) to settle a criminal investigation related to perjury in an abuse case, after which proceedings against him were discontinued by civil prosecutors.³
The petition invokes Canon 401 §2 of the Code of Canon Law, which states that a diocesan bishop who becomes “less able to fulfill his office because of ill health or some other grave cause” is urged to offer his resignation. The petition argues that Woelki’s loss of public trust and repeated failures in accountability meet this threshold for a “grave cause.”⁴
Woelki’s Legacy of Controversy
Cardinal Woelki has faced mounting criticism since 2020 for allegedly shielding abusive clergy and for obstructing transparency in handling abuse cases in Cologne. In 2021, Pope Francis granted him a sabbatical, stating there had been “serious errors in communication” though no canonical wrongdoing was found.⁵ Woelki later offered his resignation, which Pope Francis declined in 2022, a move that sparked division within the German Church and among abuse survivors.
Much of the backlash stems from a 2021 abuse report commissioned by the Archdiocese of Cologne from the law firm Gercke Wollschläger, which documented over 200 failures by Church officials, though it controversially cleared Woelki himself.⁶ Critics, including survivors, accused the cardinal of using the report to scapegoat subordinates while preserving his own position.
Public Pressure and Canonical Complaint
This new petition, launched in May 2025, marks the most concerted lay-driven effort yet to secure Woelki’s removal. The organizers state that his continued presence “gravely hinders the witness of the Church” and has **“widened the rift between the hierarchy and the faithful.”**⁷
The canonical complaint attached to the petition was submitted to Rome along with the signatures and supporting documents. However, the Archdiocese of Cologne responded on July 21 by dismissing the complaint as “obviously baseless.” In an official statement, the archdiocese argued the petition was based on “false assumptions and claims”, noting that the legal settlement involved no criminal conviction or canonical offense.⁸
“The petitioners did not present evidence of failures in abuse reporting or of any breach of Church law that would justify removal,” the diocesan press office said. “The proceedings cited were settled without admission of guilt and do not alter the canonical status of the cardinal.”⁹
They further insisted that civil settlements—even those related to misconduct claims—“cannot be retrofitted into canonical grounds” unless a judicial finding or doctrinal error is established.
A Test for the New Pontificate
The petition arrives just months into the papacy of Pope Leo XIV, widely seen as facing early tests of his commitment to transparency and episcopal accountability. While the Holy See has yet to respond publicly to the petition, Vatican-watchers say how Leo XIV handles the case may set the tone for his broader reform agenda.
If Pope Leo were to act on the petition, it would mark a rare example of a bishop’s removal in response to public and lay pressure, though canon law permits such action in grave cases where the bishop has lost the trust of the faithful.
For now, the petition continues to circulate, with survivors’ groups and clergy among its signatories. Regardless of outcome, it reflects a deep yearning for justice and renewal within the German Church—a Church still grappling with its past, and unsure of how to move forward under leaders compromised by scandal.
- Catholic News Agency, “Petition to Pope Leo XIV to remove German cardinal gains over 60K signatures,” 6 June 2025.
- Ibid.
- Domradio.de, “Kardinal Woelki zahlt 26.000 Euro – Verfahren eingestellt,” April 2025.
- Code of Canon Law, Canon 401 §2.
- National Catholic Reporter, “Pope grants sabbatical to German Cardinal Woelki,” 24 September 2021.
- Catholic News Agency, “Cardinal Woelki faces backlash over Cologne abuse report,” 2021.
- CNA Deutsch, “Ein Hirt ohne Herde: Petition fordert Absetzung von Kardinal Woelki,” 5 June 2025.
- Catholic News Agency, “Cologne archdiocese calls canonical complaint baseless as abuse survivors accuse cardinal,” 21 July 2025.
- Ibid.
Leave a Reply