Overview

• The petition was unveiled ahead of the Deutsche Bischofskonferenz autumn assembly in Fulda.
• Initiated by Eckiger Tisch and allied groups, it urges bishops and religious orders to forgo the Verjährung defense in civil damages cases.
• Spokesperson Matthias Katsch called for the church to stop relying on the statute-of-limitations objection in pain-and-suffering claims.
• Advocates say many lawsuits never proceed because dioceses invoke time limits, which they argue is unjust after years of concealment.
• The church’s Independent Commission provides recognition payments criticized as too low, while courts have occasionally awarded six-figure sums.