Anselm Grün Denies Helping an Abusive Priest Return to Ministry as Victims Demand a Wider Inquiry

Benedictine monk Anselm Grün has rejected allegations that he helped a priest who sexually abused a 16-year-old boy return to pastoral ministry. The dispute involves a case from the early 1990s in the Archdiocese of Paderborn, where the priest admitted his guilt during criminal proceedings and spent time at the Recollectio-Haus.

The Council of Victims of the German Bishops’ Conference is calling for an independent investigation into whether the Recollectio-Haus helped other accused or convicted abusers return to work. The council wants to examine the matter beyond this single case to determine how the Church in Germany handled such individuals during that period.

The controversy follows the fourth annual report from the Independent Commission for the Investigation of Sexual Abuse in the Archdiocese of Paderborn. The report notes that Grün became involved in the priest's case during the early 1990s. The current dispute centers on what officials knew at the time and the grounds upon which decisions were made regarding the priest's return to ministry.