Archbishop in Vienna to Quit
VIENNA — Archbishop Hans Hermann Groer, facing allegations that he sexually molested a boy 20 years ago, said Tuesday he will step down next month as head of Austria’s Roman Catholic Church.
Groer made the announcement at the end of church services in St. Stephen’s Cathedral, telling churchgoers he will step down Sept. 14--nine years after he was ordained primate of Austria and archbishop of Vienna.
Groer, 75, will be succeeded by Bishop Christoph Schoenborn, who is embroiled in his own controversy after a gay pressure group said he and three other bishops have homosexual tendencies.
Allegations that Groer had sexually abused a 17-year-old pupil at a Catholic boarding school caused an uproar.
Groer never denied the charges, preferring to remain silent.
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