The Pope rejects the resignation of Cardinal Marx: “He continues as Bishop of Munich”

Vatican City

Ante la the recent resignation of Cardinal Marx presented to Pope Francis in which the cardinal expressed his desire to leave the leadership of the diocese of Munich and Freising due to the child abuse scandal in Germany, comes the response of the pontiff by a letter that we reproduce in full below:

Santa Marta, June 10, 2021

Dear brother,

First of all, thank you for your courage. It is a Christian courage which does not fear the cross, it does not fear to be annihilated before the immense reality of sin. This is what the Lord did (Phil 2 5-8). It is a grace that the Lord has given you and I see that you want to assume it and keep it so that it bears fruit. Thank you.

You tell me that you are going through a moment of crisis, and not only you but also the Church in Germany are living it. The whole Church is in crisis because of the problem of abuse; Moreover, the Church today cannot take a step forward without taking on this crisis. The ostrich policy leads nowhere, and the crisis must be assumed with our paschal faith. Sociologisms, psychologisms are useless. Assuming the crisis, personally and collectively, is the only fruitful way because a crisis does not come out alone but in community and we must also keep in mind that a crisis comes out better or worse, but never the same.[1].

You tell me that since last year you have been reflecting: you have gone in search of the will of God with the decision to accept it, whatever it may be.

I agree with you that you characterize the sad history of sexual abuse and the way the Church has dealt with it as a disaster until recently. Becoming aware of this hypocrisy in the way of living the faith is a grace, it is a first step that we must take. We need to own the story, both personally and as a community. You cannot remain indifferent to this crime. Assuming it means putting yourself in crisis.

Not everyone wants to accept this reality, but it is the only way, because making life-changing “resolutions” without “putting the meat on the grill” gets nowhere. Personal, social and historical realities are concrete and should not be assumed with ideas; because ideas are discussed (and it is good that they are) but reality must always be assumed and discerned. It is true that historical situations must be interpreted with the hermeneutics of the time in which they occurred, but that does not exempt us from taking charge and assuming them as the story of the “sin that assails us”. So, in my opinion, every bishop in the Church should take it up and ask himself what should I do in the face of this disaster?

We have “mea culpa” in the face of so many historical errors of the past more than once in many situations, although we have not personally participated in that historical situation. And it is this same attitude that is required of us today. We are asked for a reform, which – in this case – does not consist of words but of attitudes which have the courage to put themselves in crisis, to assume reality whatever the consequence. And all reform begins with itself. The reform in the Church was made by men and women who were not afraid to enter into crisis and allow themselves to be reformed by the Lord. This is the only way, otherwise we will only be “reformist ideologues” who do not bring their own flesh into play.

The Lord never agreed to make “the reform” (allow me the expression) neither with the project of the Pharisees nor the Sadducees nor the Zealots nor the Essenes. On the contrary, he did it with his life, with his history, with his flesh on the cross. And this is the path, the one that you yourself, dear brother, take when you resign.

You say in your letter that burying the past gets us nowhere. Silences, omissions, giving too much weight to the prestige of the Institutions only lead to personal and historical failure, and lead us to live with the weight “of having skeletons in the closet”, as the saying goes.

It is urgent to “ventilate” this reality of abuse and the way the Church has proceeded, and to let the Spirit lead us to the desert of desolation, to the cross and to the resurrection. This is the way of the Spirit that we must follow, and the starting point is the humble confession: we have made mistakes, we have sinned. Polls and the power of institutions will not save us. The prestige of our Church which tends to hide its sins will not save us; Neither the power of money nor the opinion of the media will save us (so often we are too dependent on them). This will prevent us from opening the door to the Only One who can do it and confess our nakedness: “I have sinned”, “we have sinned” … I am a sinner “, a heritage that the first pope the popes and the bishops of the Church. And then we will feel that healing shame that opens the doors to the compassion and tenderness of the Lord who is always near us. As a Church, we must ask for the grace of shame, and that the Lord preserve us from being the shameless harlot of Ezekiel 16.

I like the way you end the letter: “I will continue to be a priest and bishop of this Church with pleasure and I will continue to be involved at the pastoral level as long as I keep it reasonable and timely. I would like to devote the years to come of my service more intensely to pastoral ministry and to fighting for a spiritual renewal of the Church, as you tirelessly ask ”

And here is my answer, dear brother. Continue as you suggest but as Archbishop of Munchen und Freising. And if you are tempted to think that by confirming your mission and by not accepting your resignation, this Bishop of Rome (your brother who loves you) does not understand you, think about how Peter felt before the Lord when, in his own way, he presented the resignation: “Depart from me, I am a sinner”, and listen to the response: “shepherd my sheep”.

With brotherly affection.

FRANCISCO

________________

[1] There is a danger of not accepting the crisis and taking refuge in conflicts, an attitude which ends up stifling and preventing any possible transformation. For the crisis carries a seed of hope, conflict – on the contrary – of despair; the crisis involves… the conflict – on the contrary – entangles us and provokes the aseptic attitude of Pilate: “I am innocent of this blood. It is your business ”(Mt. 27:24)… how much harm he has done to us and to us.