AUSTRIA
Vatican Insider
Peter Paul Kaspar, chaplain of the Academy and the artists of Linz, one of the leaders of the “Pfarrer Initiative” has written an open letter to the Cardinal of Vienna
ANDREA TORNIELLI
Rome
Peter Paul Kaspar, chaplain of the Academy and the artists of Linz and one of the leaders of the “Pfarrer Initiative” has written an open letter to the Cardinal of Vienna Cristoph Schönborn, referring to the case of the young gay man who was elected to the pastoral council of Stützenhofen. He presented this case as an example of “disobedience”, or rather of obedience to his own conscience rather than to “Roman law”.
Readers will recall that during the Chrism mass on Holy Thursday morning, Benedict XVI unexpectedly spoke about the “Appeal to Disobedience” signed by 400 Austrian parish priests. Those who signed the appeal are asking for drastic reforms, including the abolition of priestly celibacy and the ordination of women. In response to this, the Pope said that disobedience is not the right path towards the reformation of the Church, because it risks transforming it “according to our wishes and ideas.”
The Pope’s words were welcomed in a positive manner by the Archbishop of Vienna, Cardinal Cristoph Schönborn, but were also appreciated by the leader of the “Pfarrer Initiative”. Although the latter he said did not agree with the Pope’s decision to declare the ordination of women priests impossible, he saw the reference to it in the homily as a move towards dialogue.
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