Former Pope Secretary Archbishop Georg Gänswein and Cologne Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki are expected in Würzburg on Saturday. They are celebrating the anniversary of the Catholic weekly newspaper “Die Tagespost”. First, Woelki will hold a celebratory service in the Neumünster Church (1 p.m.), then Gänswein will give a welcoming speech at the ceremony.
Since his return from Rome, Gänswein has only appeared publicly on a larger scale a few times. In mid-August he preached in the Swabian pilgrimage site Maria Vesperbild. The archbishop was secretary to the former Pope Benedict XVI for many years. However, Pope Francis sent him back to Germany – without any office. Gänswein now lives back in his home diocese of Freiburg.
Like Archbishop Woelki of Cologne, he is considered strictly conservative and a critic of the Synodal Path, which was intended to usher in reforms in the church.
Woelki is currently being investigated on suspicion of making false statements under oath and perjury. The cardinal is said to have known more about allegations of abuse against clergy than he said publicly. Woelki had rejected all allegations.
“Die Tagespost” was founded 75 years ago by the journalist Johann Wilhelm Naumann in Augsburg. The Catholic newspaper has been published weekly since 2018, previously three times a week. According to its own information, the paper reports on political, cultural, social and ecclesiastical issues from a Catholic perspective. It is published in German-speaking countries with a circulation of around 12,000 copies.
The Würzburg local bishop Franz Jung will not take part in the celebration due to scheduling reasons. But he wants to send a greeting.
