The Catholic bishop of the German city of Osnabrück, Franz Josef Bode, has asked to resign after acknowledging “personal failings” in the handling of sexual abuse in his diocese. Pope Francis has accepted his request after rejecting the scandal-driven resignations of other top German church dignitaries. Bode has been under pressure since the publication in September of a report by the University of Osnabrück in northwestern Germany accusing him of having failed in his duties in dealing with sexual assaults against minors in his diocese.
The 72-year-old prelate, who is vice president of the bishops’ conference, delivered a mea culpa statement, acknowledging that “for a long time I was more concerned with the culprits and the institution than with the victims.” Moreover, he misjudged the facts, acted hesitantly, and sometimes made bad decisions. Bode again “apologized” to the victims and cited health problems as the reason for his resignation.
Although Bode had been involved in the modernization process undertaken by the German Catholic Church in favor of blessing homosexual unions, marriage for priests, and a higher place for women, his reputation was severely damaged after the publication of the report. The acceptance of his resignation is therefore seen as an important step in the fight against sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. However, some victims’ groups have pointed out that the German Catholic Church needs to do much more to address the problem of sexual abuse and the responsibility of senior dignitaries in covering up the crimes.