Informers ‘Not Welcome’ in Munich, Says Cardinal

Friedrich Cardinal Wetter

Function: Archbishop of München und Freising, Germany

Title: Cardinal Priest of S Stefano al Monte Celio

Birthdate: Feb 20, 1928	Country: Germany

Elevated: May 25, 1985	More information: www.catholic-hierarchy.org

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Informers ‘Not Welcome’ in Munich, Says Cardinal
Sept 15, 2004

(The Tablet, 22 May 2004) Anonymous informers intent on reporting liturgical abuses will labour in vain in the Archdiocese of Munich, Cardinal Friedrich Wetter, Archbishop of Munich, said in an open letter. “Blackening people’s names, especially when the talebearer wishes to stay anonymous, will not get anyone anywhere in our archdiocese,” Cardinal Wetter warned.

His comments follow the promulgation of the Vatican instruction on abuses in the liturgy, Redemptionis Sacramentum. The document had caused considerable anxiety in the archdiocese, he said. Some believed it encouraged Catholics to denounce practices they regarded as dubious.

But denunciation implied “underhandedly maligning people for despicable reasons”, something a Church document could not possibly encourage, the cardinal went on, adding that the Vatican instruction had merely confirmed every Catholic’s right to complain to their bishop or to the Holy See about possible abuses.

In his archdiocese anyone “who finds, or thinks they have found” that a priest is guilty of liturgical abuse, must first of all talk to the priest concerned in person, Cardinal Wetter said. He quoted Matthew 18:15: “If another member of the Church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone.” People should only turn to their bishop if this was of no avail, he said. Complaints would, moreover, only be listened to if the person lodging the complaint was prepared to reveal his or her name, and anonymous complaints would be considered null and void.

The cardinal said it was important to study the Vatican instruction carefully and objectively. It contained nothing new. It was therefore regrettable that some people thought it was an attempt to reduce the role of the laity at Mass.

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