Senior German priest resigns over handling of abuse claims

BERLIN (AP) — The German Catholic Church says a senior priest has been removed from office after criticism of his handling of abuse allegations against a seminary director in the Limburg Diocese. Vicar General Wolfgang Roesch had asked Limburg’s bishop to relieve him of his duties following the publication of a report about the case of the Rev. Christof May. The seminary head was found dead in June 2022 after being questioned about allegations of inappropriate behavior. The Limburg Diocese said Bishop Georg Baetzing approved Roesch’s request with immediate effect. The diocese quoted Roesch as saying that he became aware in 2015 of allegations that May had acted inappropriately with adults. He concluded the allegations were untrue.