Pastor from Passau steps back: sudden ending after severe allegations!

Pastor from Passau steps back: sudden ending after severe allegations!

A pastor from the diocese of Passau has declared his resignation after serious allegations were made against him. The resignation was initiated today, on March 20, 2025, and is related to a "deep crack" within the parish, for which the pastor took responsibility. According to the information from pnp.de , the pastor regrets his own mistakes that have led to the situation. The allegations contain excessive alcohol abuse and spiritual manipulation, but no specific details have been published by the diocese.

The resignation was initially announced orally, and Bishop Stefan Oster will officially accept him on March 24th. The diocese has an extensive report that includes 151 pages. According to reports, alcohol abuse has occurred on excursions with young people, and the pastor is accused of having tempted young people in this regard. In 2023 the pastor had already participated in a service to defend himself against allegations regarding his alcohol consumption.

new developments and canon law measures

The resignation falls into a time when the Catholic Church is increasingly faced with allegations. The initiative of the angular table initiative expresses sharp criticism of practice to put priests with allegations of abuse, as in the report of Infranken.de . Matthias Katsch, the spokesman for the initiative, describes the structures in the church as "mafia" and emphasizes that perpetrators are often protected from the consequences of their actions.

Another example is the resignation of Gilles Roduit, a pastor of the Saint-Maurice Abbey, who also had to resign because of serious allegations. According to Srf.ch , Roduit stepped back from his office after numerous rejections of his presence in the parish came to the ears. As early as the autumn 2023, he was suspended for suspicion of having abused a novice in the 2000s. His return after a hunger strike resulted in protests, especially victims' associations that considered his presence in the community as inappropriate.

The parish regretted regret about Roduits resignation and emphasized that many members were happy about his return. Despite the stressful allegations, he remained active to this point. The developments in Roduit illustrate another unresolved abuse complex within the Catholic Church.

conclusions on systematic abuse cases

The ongoing advice of the diocese of Passau on the examination of the canon law and the onset of external investigations are a sign that the church reacts to the allegations. However, it remains to be seen to what extent these measures will actually lead to sustainable changes within the institution.