The Catholic Church in Austria could be on the verge of a crisis as reports of clerical child abuse drive thousands of worshippers away, it has emerged.So far this year, 1,000 people have left in Lower Austria, 300 this month alone, raising fears that this year could see a record number of desertions.
Last year saw 52,216 people officially quitting, the highest on record so far. But this year could be worse.
In Salzburg city, 120 people have left this year, three times more than during the same period last year. The numbers for Vorarlberg and Tyrol are 850 and 650, respectively.
The Vienna archdiocese has declined to cite a figure but confirmed that "many more than usual" were leaving.
Josef Lidicky, the financial chamber director for Salzburg diocese, said the loss could be financially crippling for the Church since each member pays an average of 120 Euros a year in church taxes.
If the number leaving reached 80,000 this year, that would represent a loss of nine million Euros for the Church, he noted.
The revelation of new sex-abuse scandals has increased pressure on Vienna Archbishop Christoph Cardinal Schönborn, the titular head the Austrian Catholic Church and the chairman of the Austrian Bishops Conference.
Hans-Peter Hurka from the platform "We are the Church" said: "I hear words of comfort for the victims and promises of change, but they are not enough."
He added that Schönborn must finally address taboo questions of sexuality and lead a public discussion of priestly celibacy. Except for the institution of an ombudsman in the archdiocese after a scandal in the 1990s, Hurka said, nothing had been done.
"Only the facade has been repaired. Inside, nothing has changed, absolutely nothing," he added.
Former priest and sex therapist Johannes Wahala criticised the continued silence of Pope Benedict XVI. "That constitutes a continuation of the old model, which will certainly do the Church no good. We need clear statements."
Publicist Hubert Feichtlbauer said: "The Pope continues to write pastoral letters in the Vatican. He is afraid and has little credibility."
He added that it appeared the Pope was imprisoned in a time warp.
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