As the newly elected Bishop of Rome, Pope Leo XIV is quickly confronting one of the most difficult issues facing the global Church: episcopal accountability in handling sexual abuse cases. A petition calling for the removal of Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, the embattled Archbishop of Cologne, is now before him—signaling not only a critical moment for the German Church, but also a defining test of Leo’s leadership and moral authority.
According to Newsweek, more than 60,000 people have signed the petition, launched by Munich priest Wolfgang F. Rothe, who claims that “in dealing with allegations of sexual abuse, (Woelki) gravely violated his duty of care.” Rothe asserts that the cardinal is “completely morally corrupt,” and adds, “He has lost all credibility, both in public and within the Archdiocese of Cologne and the Catholic Church in Germany.” In his words, Woelki has become “a shepherd without a flock,” while the archdiocese is “a flock without a shepherd.”
The controversy surrounding Cardinal Woelki is not new. He was previously allowed to remain in office by Pope Francis in 2021, despite widespread criticism. At that time, Francis acknowledged “major errors” in communication and gave Woelki a temporary “spiritual timeout.” The source of the controversy stemmed in part from Woelki’s decision to withhold the results of an early abuse report, citing legal concerns. He later commissioned a second report, which absolved him of legal neglect, though he admitted to “mistakes” in past abuse cases and refused to resign.
The Archdiocese of Cologne and the public prosecutor’s office maintain that Woelki has not committed a criminal offense. Following a 2023 investigation, the cardinal’s home and offices were searched, and in May 2025, the legal proceedings ended after he paid a €26,000 (roughly $29,700) fine. As the Archdiocese told Newsweek, “The public prosecutor’s office has expressly confirmed that Cardinal Woelki did not make a deliberately false statement and therefore did not commit perjury.”
Still, many German Catholics remain unconvinced. Rothe argues that Woelki’s continued presence “is a severe slap in the face to the many victims of sexual abuse and undermines efforts to address sexual abuse in other German dioceses and in the universal Church.” Public trust, he contends, has been deeply eroded.
Others, however, caution against letting popular opinion drive decisions within the Church. Riccardo Wagner, Head of the Media School at Fresenius University of Applied Sciences Cologne, told Die Tagespost, “The platform and the petition act as if sacramental offices could be legitimized or delegitimized by digital public opinion – this fundamentally contradicts the nature of the Church, which is why this approach and means must be clearly rejected.”
Pope Leo XIV has not yet made a public response to the petition. His decision—whether to act or not—will be closely scrutinized. As Newsweek reports, “How the Vatican responds to the petition… could set the tone for Pope Leo’s leadership style and his stance on episcopal accountability worldwide.”
At stake is not only the future of one cardinal, but the confidence of the faithful in the Church’s willingness to protect the vulnerable and uphold the moral demands of its mission.
