Church Reform the Topic for Austrian Pastor and His NYC Audience
By Rev. Alexander
Walking through Manhattan’s Washington Square Park on a hot July evening has the feel of an urban circus. Adults and children cool off in the fountain’s sprays, musicians entertain, and food vendors do a brisk business. As I am about to exit, I notice the New York University Catholic Center’s modern looking building on the left but I’m headed to the historic Judson Memorial Church to hear an Austrian Catholic priest, Rev. Helmut Schuller, kick off a 15-city U.S. tour. I am not sure why the sponsors selected Judson instead of any Catholic setting; the Archbishops of Boston and Philadephia did ban Schuller from any Catholic property. That only boosted attendance on July 16 and required additional chairs to seat the 400 plus audience. Schuller is a mild-mannered 60-year-old, who is every bit involved in the life of the Vienna, Austria Archdiocese. He was their Vicar General, the second highest position in the chancery, and still pastors the same parish he did when he had that job. He serves on their priests’ council and writes a weekly column for their archdiocesan newspaper. So why all the hubbub? Schuller organized 500 priests out of some 3,000 in the entire country to issue calls for reform back in 2006. The Austrian Priests’ Initiative addressed the “increasing shortage of priests forcing many Austrian parishes to close.” But it also advocated for reform in the celebration of the sacraments, welcoming remarried Catholics to communion, ordination of women and married men and homosexual unions – none of which is approved by the universal church. In 2011, the group called for an “Appeal to Disobedience,” which called for “obedience to God, conscience and then church order.” They would pray for reform at every Mass, raise up lay leaders and accept everyone who comes to Communion among other actions. For this, he was stripped of his title, “Monsignor,” which he said did not upset him. But he spoke warmly of his archbishop, Cardinal Christoph Schonborn — who was considered papabile in the last two conclaves. He said Schonborn dialogues with the clergy and is trying to stake out a middle ground. Schuller also said the cardinal would have preferred he not tour the U.S. and is probably under pressure from the Vatican. While some of Schuller’s reforms push the envelope, his message of parish life is on solid ground. He talks about the need to sustain parish communities and not create “mega-parishes” because there are not enough clergy. Relationships are important and priests need to relate to their people. He dispenses with the term, “laity,” in favor of “church citizens” because it implies equality in community. He said that the term “communion” is quite historical and was retrieved by the Second Vatican Council. “We must practice reform in the framework of our community,” said Schuller, who warns about the dichotomy between the real life of the parish community versus the expectation set by the official church. He spoke of the need to invite women into leadership, not because of personnel shortage but because they reflect the face of God along with men. The First Vatican Council, he said, cemented the idea that the Vatican is “an absolute monarchy.” But he also recounted that Pope Paul VI wanted a church constitution that would recognize the rights of the faithful. It never went anywhere. Schuller is hopeful that Pope Francis will usher in a new way of being in the church. And it can’t come soon enough. The audience was predominantly an over 50 crowd. One young woman noted the lack of young adults present and Schuller said “young people have lost patience” and just walked away, which worries him. And many others, as well. Among the groups sponsoring Schuller’s tour is Voice of the Faithful, a lay group that started in response to the Boston sexual abuse scandal a dozen years ago. The New York leader is Francis Piderit, who entered the Jesuits with me in 1970. He left to marry, but is still active in church as was the crowd that heard Schuller. Unlike young Catholics, the older church people have enormous patience and longing for a church that finally embraces what Vatican II promised. SANTORA is pastor of The Church of Our Lady of Grace & St. Joseph, 400 Willow Ave., Hoboken, 07030, e-mail: padrealex@yahoo.com.
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