Germany: allegations against Msgr. Zollitsch “without foundation””The accusations of criminal behaviour by Dr Robert Zollitsch in connection with the Birnau Monastery are without foundation”. In a statement released by the Press Office of the Holy See the German diocese of Freiburg reiterates that accusations against archbishop Robert Zollitsch, President of the German Bishops’ Conference are ungrounded. Msgr. Zolltisch was charged with having reconfirmed the office of a priest charged with sexual abuses on minors in the 1960s. The diocese of Freiburg is in touch with the Police “to provide immediate evidence that the accusations are ugrounded”. Moreover, the Bishops state in the note, “in the past months the Ordinariate of Freiburg showed that upon learning of the accusations against the Cistercian Father the Order was immediately notified” and instructed the “Cistercian Order on the relative measures to be undertaken”. The charges against Archbishop Zolltisch “are ungrounded”, since “the diocese of Freiburg first learned in 2006 of at least one case of abuse in Birnau during the 1960s” and “Dr. Zollitsch – who was responsible for human resources in the diocese – in 1987 prevented the Father in question from holding responsibilities in Birnau”. The responsible of the monastery of the Order, underlines the note, is the abbot of the Order. Thus Msgr. Zollitsch, “was neither aware of the accusations from the 1960s nor of a new hiring of this priest and in no way ordered such a decision”. The Cistercian Abbey in Mehrerau is a territorial abbey headed by the abbot. Such territorial abbey, the note points out, “is not part of a diocese and is totally independent from the diocesan bishop”, in fact “the abbot takes decisions on the personnel in the area that lies within his provinces”, without having to inform a bishop. The accusations against Msgr. Zollitsch “in connection with the Birnau monastery are therefore groundless both in terms of responsibility and content”. Furthermore, “the criminal complaint was transmitted to the procurator and to the media” aimed at “aimed at sensationalism by provoking media interest against the archbishop with allegations of sexual abuse.” In reality, the diocese concludes “an statement on the facts published months ago makes the following fact obvious: at the end of 2006 – immediately after having been informed on a case of sexual abuse in the 1960s at the monastery of Birnau – the diocese of Freiburg immediately informed the Cistercian order in charge”. France: appeal for a long-lasting peace in the Middle EastIn a joint statement French associations – Justice et Paix, la Mission de France, Pax Christi, Chrétiens de la Méditerranée, le Comité Catholique contre la Faim e Secours Catholique – condemned the Israelis’ assault against the humanitarian flotilla in international waters headed towards Gaza. In the note – released by the French Bishops’ Conference – the organizations convey their “strong indignation and deep concerns”, and convey their sympathy to the victims and to their many families. According to the organizations, “the Israeli army, one of the most trained in the world, had the means to intervene without causing deaths as happened in the past months with 5 vessels. Intervening in international waters with gunfire is a violation of the fundamental principles of international and humanitarian law”. By doing so the Government of Israel is assuming the risk of endangering the possibility of the resumption of the peace talks. The communique’ calls for the lift of the Gaza blockade which “encloses 1.5 million people in an open-air prison, condemning them to misery and desperation”. The appeal urges the leaders of the international community, notably French President Nicholas Sarkozy, EU representatives and U.S. President Barak Obama to act “with determination to bring the protagonists of the conflict around the negotiating table”.Austria: “oil-hunger strike” in the diocese On the occasion of the World Day for the Environment, on June 5 the dioceses in Austria proposed an “oil-hunger strike” in order to give “a concrete sign against the destruction of the Creation”. “Those who can, should leave their cars in the garage and take the bicycle or travel with public transportation”, states a note of June 2 that refers to the environmental disaster caused by an oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico. Ernst Sandriesser, spokesperson of the diocesan department for the Environment thus motivated the “car strike”. “The aim is to change in a sustainable way transportation habits and find alternatives to the use of the automobile. The reduction of fossil fuel and the use of renewable energies is now indispensable”.
