There will be a generational change in the ranks of Austria’s Roman Catholic bishops in the near future as four of them will soon reach the mandatory retirement age of 75.The four bishops are Eisenstadt’s Paul Iby, Graz’ Egon Kapellari, Vorarlberg’s Elmar Fischer and Salzburg’s Alois Kothgasser.
Papel Nuncio Peter Stephan Zurbriggen is expected to play a key role in the choice of their successors.
Although Pope Benedict XVI will make the final decision, Zurbriggen as a so-called Vatican "head hunter" will make recommendations to the Pope and keep him informed of the situation in the four dioceses.
The Pope can also make exceptions to the retirement rule. Erich Leitenberger, the press spokesman for the Vienna archdiocese, said Thursday: "There have been cases in which bishops remained in office until age 80." It is uncertain whether any of the four bishops will seek such an exception.
The Pope’s decisions can have a strong impact on the faithful, as suggested by the selection of the new auxiliary bishop in the Linz diocese.
Controversial, outspoken and ultra-conservative Linz auxiliary-bishop designate Gerhard Maria Wagner has publicly answered his critics.
Wagner, who was nominated auxiliary bishop of the Linz diocese by Pope Benedict XVI last Saturday, did so on Monday.
Wagner said during his presentation to journalists by Linz Bishop Ludwig Schwarz he was not a "divider" as some critics had charged.
Wagner said: "I don’t understand why I have been portrayed as a divider since I stand behind the Pope." He added his critics should ask themselves if they weren’t playing the roles of dividers.
As for what to do about the increasing number of Roman Catholics who were leaving the Church, Wagner asked: "What should we do? We will not be blackmailed."
He said Catholics who had problems with the Church should make St. Francis of Assisi their model.
"He was furiously angry with the Church but remained in it in order to reform it from the inside," Wagner said.
Asked why there were no altar girls at his parish church in Windischgarsten, Upper Austria, Wagner said there were "various reasons," one of which was a large number of boys who wanted to be altar boys.
In addition, he said, boys and girls had no business mingling with each other after a certain age.
Wagner counselled lay people to work constructively with their priests and not try to usurp priestly functions. He added celibacy made it clear that priests were dedicated to serving God.
Asked about his controversial statements that the destruction of five abortion clinics and many night clubs in New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina on 29 August 2005 and the Southeastern Asian tsunami’s occurrence the day after Christmas in 2004 had not occurred by chance, Wagner avoided a full explanation of his remarks.
Wagner said he had not called those events punishments by God. "Neither you nor I know whether they were," he stated.
The auxiliary bishop-designate has also called the "Harry Potter" book series an introduction to worship of the devil.
Wagner will be ordained auxiliary bishop on 22 March at Linz’ "Mariadom" (Mary’s Cathedral). +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Disclaimer
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
Sotto Voce
(Source: AT)