Pope Leo Faces First Major Test Over ‘Morally Corrupt’ Bishop

Pope Leo XIV is set to face one of his first major tests with a petition addressed to him calling for the removal of Cologne Archbishop Rainer Maria Woelki over concerns about his handling of sexual abuse allegations.

Newsweek has contacted the Vatican via email, for comment.

Why It Matters

As the newly elected pope, people will be watching how Leo handles concerns about sex abuse in the church.

How the Vatican responds to the petition, which has more than 60,000 signatures, could set the tone for Pope Leo’s leadership style and his stance on episcopal accountability worldwide.

What To Know

Woelki has long been a divisive figure in the church amid criticism of his handling of sexual abuse cases in the archdiocese of Cologne.

In September 2021, Pope Francis decided to leave Woelki in office despite massive criticism over his handling of the sexual abuse cases. The pontiff instead gave the cardinal a “spiritual timeout” of several months after he made “major errors” of communication.

Woelki had infuriated many local Catholics by citing legal concerns to keep under wraps a report on how local church officials reacted when priests were accused of sexual abuse. He commissioned a second report, and a German law firm produced an 800-page investigation.

The report he commissioned absolved Woelki himself of any neglect of his legal duties with respect to abuse victims. He subsequently said he made mistakes in past cases involving sexual abuse allegations but made clear he had no intention of resigning.

The Cologne public prosecutor’s office had been investigating Cardinal Woelki since autumn 2022 for possible false testimony regarding his knowledge of abuse allegations, according to the Catholic News Agency.

In summer 2023, his apartment and offices were searched. However, at the beginning of May 2025, investigations of the cardinal were ended after the payment of a 26,000-euro (about $29,700) fine.

The Archdiocese of Cologne told Newsweek: “As is well known, the presumption of innocence applies…The public prosecutor’s office has expressly confirmed that Cardinal Woelki did not make a deliberately false statement and therefore did not commit perjury.”

Munich priest Wolfgang F. Rothe, who started the petition on May 26, wrote that “in dealing with allegations of sexual abuse, (Woelki) gravely violated his duty of care.

“Against this backdrop, Cardinal Woelki is completely morally corrupt. He has lost all credibility, both in public and within the Archdiocese of Cologne and the Catholic Church in Germany,” Rothe said. “Leaders in politics and society do not want to be seen with him, parishes are not visited by him, and confirmation candidates are not confirmed by him.”

“His behavior 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,” Rothe added.

In March 2022, after Francis ordered an official review of Woelki’s archdiocese, the Vatican found no evidence of unlawful conduct—although it said major errors of communication had been made.

It also praised Woelki’s willingness to be investigated, the Catholic News Agency reported.

What People Are Saying

Munich priest Wolfgang F. Rothe wrote in his petition: “Cardinal Woelki is largely isolated both within the Archdiocese of Cologne and within the Catholic Church in Germany. He is a shepherd without a flock. And the Archdiocese of Cologne is a flock without a shepherd.”

Riccardo Wagner, Head of the Media School at Fresenius University of Applied Sciences Cologne, was critical of the petition in an interview with the Catholic newspaper Die Tagespost.

He said: “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.”

The Archdiocese of Cologne told Newsweek: “For Cardinal Woelki, the end of the proceedings marks the end. He now wants to devote all his energy to the future of the Archdiocese of Cologne together with the faithful.”