Passau: Analysis of the abuse study brings shocking revelations!

Passau: Analysis of the abuse study brings shocking revelations!

Next Monday, December 11, 2025, the Diocese of Passau's review study will be published. This study is entitled "Sexual Abuse and Physical Violence. Attacks on Minors by Catholic Clergy in the Diocese of Passau 1945 to 2022" and represents a significant step towards clarification in an institution that has suffered greatly under the shadow of cases of abuse in the past. The University of Passau prepared the study and conducted extensive investigations into the cases of abuse that have occurred within the diocese over the past decades. According to the South German newspaper The results were presented to the Independent Processing Commission at the end of November 2022, which underlines the urgency and relevance of the topic.

Bishop Stefan Oster emphasized that this study is not just a research project, but above all a necessary step to make visible the suffering and injustice that many people have experienced in the church. According to Professor Marc von Knorring, the suffering of those affected should also be recognized and made present in society in order to promote awareness of this serious issue. “The aim of the study is to support those affected in their fight for recognition,” says von Knorring.

History and relevance

The highly regarded MHG study by the Catholic Church in Germany was published in 2018, documenting a shocking number of cases of abuse and providing the first impulses for comprehensive investigations in various dioceses. In recent years, dioceses have increasingly grappled with how they deal with sexual violence. Passau reacted late compared to other dioceses, even though the issue has been in public discussion for over 15 years. For the Diocese of Passau, the upcoming publication marks a long overdue reappraisal that brings the voices and fates of many of those affected to the fore.

Reactions in other dioceses vary greatly. Previous studies, such as the one in the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, which incriminated Joseph Ratzinger, alias Pope Benedict XVI, have resulted in around 40 new reports of abuse cases that have been classified as credible since publication. Financial support for those affected has shot into the millions in the Bavarian dioceses in recent years. All dioceses have paid out such recognition benefits to those affected, which in the diocese of Würzburg, for example, has led to a total of 4,326 applications since 2021.

Raise public awareness

The upcoming publication of the Passau study is intended not only to bring justice to those affected, but also to raise public awareness. It is particularly hoped that there will be a strong response in society, as the investigations in other federal states and in the European context show how explosive the issue of sexual abuse by church representatives still is. In Germany, as in other countries such as France and Italy, there is a long-standing debate about the structural problems within the church and the need for comprehensive reforms to regain the trust of believers.

In the meantime, it remains to be seen what specific measures will result from the Passau study. What is certain, however, is that the publication will restart debates about abuse in the Catholic Church and give hope for a more transparent and fairer approach. In a future in which the silence is broken, the voices of those affected must finally be heard. Whether this succeeds depends not least on the commitment of the church itself, as developments in other dioceses show, some of which are caught in a real chaos of coming to terms with the issue.

By publishing the study, the Diocese of Passau is taking a much-needed step not only to rehabilitate itself, but also to offer the victims a piece of justice that they have had to wait for so long.