Top German bishop doubts ‘fresh start’ after abuse crisis

BERLIN (AP) — The head of the German Bishops’ Conference has expressed doubts that the planned return of Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki as archbishop of Cologne following a “spiritual timeout” will help the diocese overcome a crisis sparked by the church’s handling of sex abuse allegations. Georg Baetzing, who chairs the Bishops’ Conference, expressed concerns Saturday “whether a real fresh start can happen there.” Pope Francis granted Woelki leave until early March after criticism over his decision not to publish an independent report into allegations of sexual abuse in the church. Baetzing spoke at the end of a meeting of the synodal gathering of German Catholics, which also discussed reforms that could lead to women performing sacraments in the future.