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Pope meets leaders of Austrian Church to discuss current problems

[2009-06-21]
'Two whole days!' a German friend told me last evening. 'Two whole days the Pope spent with the Austrian bishops this week! He stopped everything and focused only on that! Frankly, I can tell you, he read them the riot act on priestly celibacy, which is much-questioned in Austria. But that he took this amount of time is is unheard of!'

What was my friend referring to?

Pope Benedict XVI and a number of other top Vatican officials met on Monday and Tuesday this week, June 15 and 16, with four representatives of the Austrian bishops' conference to discuss recent problems in the life of the Church in Austria.

Bishop Ludwig Schwarz of Linz was part of the Austrian delegation at the meeting. An uproar greeted Pope Benedict's decision in February to name the rather conservative Msgr. Gerhard Wagner to be auxiliary bishop for the Linz diocese. (Wagner had made comments implying that Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was a punishment from God for 'the spiritual pollution' and 'amoral conditions' plaguing New Orleans.) By early March, Wagner had asked the Pope to dispense him from accepting the nomination, citing the 'fierce criticism' it had provoked. The Pope agreed.

Cardinal Christoph Schonborn of Vienna, president of the Austrian bishops' conference, told Vatican Radio on June 17 that there is no secret that the controversial bishop's nomination revealed 'great tensions' in the Austrian Church.

Obligatory celibacy for Latin-rite priests has been questioned publicly and repeatedly in Austria. Cardinal Schonborn said he gave Cardinal Claudio Hummes, prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, a copy of a letter from a group of influential lay Catholics suggesting that the celibacy requirement be dropped because of a shortage of priests.

Cardinal Schonborn told Vatican Radio, 'Despite the fact that I do not agree with some of the initiative's conclusions, frankly I believe that it is important that people in Rome know what some of our laypeople are thinking.'

The cardinal said Pope Benedict has been 'very impressive' in explaining how the continued requirement of celibacy for priests in the Latin-rite 'ultimately is a question of whether we believe that it is possible for a man to give his life entirely to God' in serving the Church and his brothers and sisters.

The Vatican statement after the meeting said Pope Benedict, who was present both mornings, 'recalled the urgency of deepening the faith' and helping people understand the real teaching of the Second Vatican Council.

Cardinal Schonborn told Vatican Radio, 'For us it was a very touching experience to see the Holy Father, who really has so much to do with the worldwide Church, take so much time to listen to our concerns.'

Sursa: www.InsideTheVatican.com

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