Viennese Archbishop Christoph Cardinal Schönborn is upping the pressure on Helmut Schüller’s Preachers’ Initiative. Schönborn, the highest representative of the Austrian Catholic Church, told Italian newspaper La Stampa yesterday (Thurs): “Now is the time to clarify the various issues. We might take disciplinary measures, but I hope that this is not necessary.” The conservative Conference […]
Alois Kothgasser, the archbishop of the Diocese of Salzburg, has decided to apply for retirement. Kothgasser announced yesterday (Weds) that he informed Pope Benedict XVI. about his wish in a letter. Kothgasser, 75, added he hoped for a private conversation with the Pope to discuss who could succeed him. A decision is expected for autumn. […]
Pope Benedict XVI has sharply condemned a group of dissident Austrian priests and laymen for questioning key teachings of the Catholic Church. The group, known as the Pfarrer Initiative, has challenged the church on topics such as priestly celibacy and its ban on female priests. Speaking during a Maundy Thursday mass in the Vatican, the […]
An end to the feud between the Austrian Church’s leaders and a “disobedient” group of preachers seems out of reach. Graz Diocese Bishop Egon Kapellari warned from a splitting of the country’s Catholic Church if the Preachers’ Initiative failed to stop its activities. Kapellari appealed on the association of parish priests – which was established […]
Members of a small parish in Vienna are outraged by Archbishop Christoph Cardinal Schönborn’s decision to hand over the church to the city’s Serbian-Orthodox community for free. Neuleuchenfeld parishioners harshly criticised Schönborn for his decision made public last year. Now the Vatican decided to reject their appeal. It promised to rule on the issue by […]
A group of priests opposing the Vatican’s principles finds more and more support, according to its head and a new survey. Former Caritas Austria President Helmut Schüller’s Preachers’ Initiative made headlines in June by “calling for disobedience” towards the Vatican. The group explained it rejected the Church’s refusal to let women work as priests in […]
The appointment of Ägidius Zsifkovics as new bishop of the Eisenstadt diocese has been branded a “reckless demonstration of power by the Vatican.”Theologian Paul Zulehner said he was “disappointed” to hear of todays (Fri) decision of the Austrian Roman Catholic Church to make Zsifkovics the successor of Paul Iby.”I dont think he will be accepted […]
Fewer Austrians decided to become Catholic priests in the first half of this year than in 2009 as the churchs crisis continues.Church officials said today (Thurs) 24 men will be consecrated priests in 2010 by the end of this month. They said 33 consecrations took place in the first six months of last year.The Austrian […]
A majority of Austrian Catholic priests want celibacy to be abolished, a survey has revealed.Researchers from Kepler University in the Upper Austrian city of Linz said today (Weds) 59 per cent of the clergy they spoke to said they backed the idea of putting an end to the ruling. Study leaders said they interviewed 406 […]
The Roman Catholic Graz-Seckau diocese has today (Weds) revealed how a former victim of sexual abuse by priests tried to blackmail them for one million Euros.The dioceses made the statement when it confirmed reports about a case of sexual abuse of boys by a priest in the 1970s as reported by the newspaper Kleine Zeitung.The […]