The Austrian Catholic world is showing signs of intolerance towards certain rules and regulations stipulated in the Church’s official documents.
Seventy two percent of Austria’s priests support “a disobedience appeal” launched in recent months by a group of parish priests (“Pfarrer-Initiative”).
These are the figures that emerged from a survey carried out by the GfK-Umfrage institute and broadcast on Austria’s public television service “ORF”.
Among the various proposals being made by the “rebel” parish priests’ platform, the idea of giving communion to remarried divorcees, was favoured by 76% of priests interviewed (this percentage rises to 86% if “individual cases” are considered); 71% would abolish obligatory celibacy and 55% support the ordination of women priests.