The Catholic initiative “Neuer Anfang” (New Beginning) launched harsh criticism against the now former president of the German Episcopal Conference, Msgr. Georg Bätzing, for the inclusion of the priest Wolfgang Rothe in the advisory council for victims of abuse of the episcopal conference itself. The decision has been described by several victims as “a slap in the face for all real victims”.
According to the German newspaper Die Tagespost, the appointment of Rothe—a priest of the Archdiocese of Munich known for his participation in Christopher Street Day (Gay Pride March in Germany) events and for publicly blessing homosexual couples—has generated strong controversy due to past incidents that had already caused a scandal in an Austrian seminary two decades ago.
The decision was made just a few days before Bätzing stepped down from the presidency of the German Episcopal Conference, a position he left on February 24, when the bishops elected Msgr. Heiner Wilmer as the new president. Thus, this appointment constitutes one of the last moves by the prelate at the helm of the German episcopate.
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