Via National Catholic Register

A long-awaited report published on Thursday raised serious concerns about Archbishop Heße’s handling of several cases during his time in Cologne.

A German Catholic archbishop announced on Thursday that he was offering his resignation to Pope Francis and requesting “immediate release” from all duties.

Archbishop Stefan Heße of Hamburg made his brief declaration live on YouTube March 18, saying: “I am of the firm conviction that taking responsibility is part of our duty to actively deal with this dark chapter in the best possible way and to move towards a better future for everyone, first and foremost for the victims themselves.”

“I have never participated in any cover-up. Nevertheless, I am willing to bear my share of responsibility for the failure of the system,” Archbishop Heße said.

The archbishop was in charge of pastoral personnel in the Archdiocese of Cologne from 2006 to 2012. He served as vicar…