The Archdiocese of Cologne is facing controversy as reports reveal that clergy and staff attempted to access pornographic websites on work devices. German media disclosed that approximately 1,000 attempts to view restricted sites were detected during a month-long test of the organization’s IT security systems. Among the 15 people identified, at least one high-ranking clergy member was involved. While the archdiocese acknowledges the issue, it does not believe any criminal activities have taken place. However, the act of watching pornography on archdiocese computers is strictly prohibited, as is accessing material related to drugs and violence.
The majority of the suspicious activity discovered during the test pertained to pornographic sites, according to reports. In a statement, the archdiocese clarified that the information collected was part of a routine check to evaluate the effectiveness of its IT security system in blocking access to sites containing explicit content, violence, drugs, and other risks. The specific content behind the URLs was not evaluated, and there were no indications of criminal conduct. The tests conducted between May and June of the previous year were primarily aimed at assessing the IT security system and were not initiated to investigate the behavior of staff or clergy.
In a separate development, public prosecutors are investigating a layman among the 15 individuals identified on suspicion of possessing criminal content. The archdiocese has assured full cooperation with the state authorities in this matter and confirmed that the person in question is no longer active in the organization. Guido Assmann, the vicar-general of Cologne, expressed his awareness of the problem of staff attempting to access blocked content on work computers. Nonetheless, he expressed satisfaction with the effectiveness of their security systems. He also emphasized the dedication and reliability of the majority of employees, expressing disappointment when the actions of a few tarnish their work.
These recent reports add to a series of scandals that have plagued the Archdiocese of Cologne, the largest archdiocese in Germany with over two million members. A 2021 report disclosed that more than 200 abusers and over 300 victims, mostly under the age of 14, were identified between 1975 and 2018 within the Cologne archdiocese area. Furthermore, earlier this year, police conducted a raid on archdiocese property as part of an investigation into the Archbishop of Cologne, Rainer Maria Woelki, who allegedly perjured himself during an investigation into abuse committed by a deceased priest, Winfried Pilz. The archdiocese insists that the accusations against Woelki require proof or refutation. Woelki has already offered his resignation to the Pope, but a decision regarding its acceptance is still pending.
