Austrian priests in revolt over laws on celibacy and Mass

AN ESTIMATED 400 Austrian Catholic priests, or almost 10 per cent of
the 4,200 in the country, are reported to support an “Appeal to
Disobedience” which calls for significant reform of guidelines on
celibacy, marriage and other areas of church authority.

The
initiative was launched on Trinity Sunday, June 19th, and priests behind
it said that “Roman refusal to take up long-needed reforms and the
inaction of the bishops not only permits but demands that we follow our
conscience and act independently”.

On their website www.pfarrer-initiative.at, they called for the abolition of celibacy;
for married clergy to be allowed; for shared Communion with remarried
people and other Christians. 

They have also called for reform of the
liturgy and introduction of the term “Priestless Eucharistic
Celebration” for a liturgy of the Word with distribution of Communion.

“This is how the Sunday Mass obligation is fulfilled when priests are in short supply,” they said.

The initiative is led by Archbishop of Vienna Cardinal Christoph Schönborn’s former vicar general, Msgr Helmut Schüller.

The
cardinal has expressed shock at the initiative and reminded priests
that they had freely promised obedience to their bishop at ordination.

He
said, “the one who gives up the principle of obedience dissolves
unity”, but that he would meet with the priest leaders of the appeal to
point out its “inconsistencies,” such as “priestless Eucharist”.

The meeting has yet to take place.

He
also suggested that “those who truly in conscience believe that they
must disobey the hierarchy, and that ‘Rome’ is on the wrong track [and]
gravely contradicts the will of God”, ought to “travel the way no more
with the Roman Catholic Church”.

Meanwhile, the results of a poll
in Austria by the Oekonsult institute, published this week, found that
71.7 per cent of those polled found the appeal “fair and adequate”, with
64.7 per cent saying they would sign a “call for insurbodination”.

According
to 73.8 per cent, pressure from the initiative could help the Austrian
Catholic Church argue a case with the Vatican that reforms were
unavoidable.

This initiative by Austrian priests shares many aspirations with the newly formed Association of Catholic Priests in Ireland.

 

Source