Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki’s remarks came after the local newspaper Koelner Stadt-Anzeiger reported that a list from the archdiocese shows more than 1,000 attempts to access those sites from their computers. Dozens of employees, including high-ranking clerics, were reported to have made such attempts.
The archdiocese confirmed the existence of the list. He said his internet provider regularly checks whether the protections have prevented attempts to access websites with questionable content such as violence, pornography and drugs, ensuring that such checks do not seek to scrutinize each user’s browsing habits.
The archdiocese emphasized that its review did not highlight “any indication of relevant criminal conduct.”
“I was disappointed that employees tried to access pornographic sites with the help of devices our archdiocese gave them for their work, even though the protections worked,” Woelki stated.
“For some, the consumption of pornography may seem innocuous,” added the archbishop. “But I agree with Pope Francis, who condemns it and warns about its dangers, in particular the violation of human dignity.”
The archbishop said he asked that the incidents be looked into as soon as he learned of them. He added that the archdiocese has many “committed and reliable” employees.
The archdiocese said its internal investigation shows Woelki himself was not one of the “incriminated site users,” German news agency dpa reported.
FOUNTAIN: Associated Press
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