Schönborn: "The Crisis Will Make the Binding Power of the Church More Clear"

Editor: What you don't get in this discussion is what kreuz.net sees as the Cardinal's customary ambiguity, and putting out a discussion like this on the national level so that he can attempt to vitiate the Church's actual position. Moreover, the Cardinal states that the reason for so many people leaving the Church this year was their "orchestrated" sex abuse scandal, as kreuz.net says:

The real reason that people are leaving the Church is for the fact that over ninety percent are paper Catholics -- among whom are many priests and even Bishops -- there's no real connection to the Church there.

Here's the kath.net story:

With a view on controversial themes within the Church ++Schönborn pleads for an "open debate". This is also applicable to celibacy, for there is "good cause why we should discuss it."

Brixen (kath.net/KAP)In the crisis the binding power of the Church will again be made clear. The president of the Austrian Bishops' Conference, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn said this to the media in Brixen, with a view on the large numbers of those leaving the Church last year. The meeting of all the entire Bishops conference will deal intensively with the questions of church losses and also the legal measures against sexual abuse. The sex abuse crisis has been naturally blamed for the climbing numbers of church defections.

But there are also "signs of hope for a spring in the Church", urged the Viennese Archbishop, who spoke for an "open debate" within the Church about polemical themees. It needs consideration that people today can decide to live in the context of a plural and multi-religious society. This new freedom is also positive: "Christianity will be more a point of conviction, and we will have a free Church in a free society", emphasized the Cardinal and said: "The binding power of the Church will also become clearly stronger -- despite the abuse crisis."

More signs of hope are in the engagement of many young people, who are showing much concern for civil society and increasing interest in religious themes. For this back ground is pivotal, "the questions of faith, of God are wakening and taking hold in the midst of society", said the Cardinal. With a view upon controversial themes within the Church he pleads for an "open debate". This suffices also for celibacy, for it is " a good reason to have a discussion about it."

The Austrian Episcopate is preoccupied with its measures against sex abuse and correcting the configuration of the established guidelines. In the last year there is an increasing responsibility and "consciousness on to stand on the side of the victim". There are "clear standards" as well as working to know the truth and prevention. "I dare now to say that the Church has forged its way exemplarily", said the president of the Bishops' Conference, and effect a "positive example" at the national level.

The discussion with media representatives from Italy and Austria took place immediately before the begin of the four day plenary assembly of the Austrian Bishops' Conference, which intitially will meet in South Tyrol. Cardinal Schonborn will give a press conference about the Plenary Assembly on the 25th of March at 10.00 O'Clock in the "Club Stephansplatz 4", 1010 Vienna.

Read original at kath.net...

Graz Priest, "By 2050 Austria Will be Muslim"

Karl Tropper directed a sharp criticism against Islam: "The Koran is the purest inflammatory pamphlet. By 2050 all of Austria will be Muslim. Graz Bishop Kapellari is not amused: Uncultivated style.

Karl Tropper, the Pastor of St. Veit am Vorgau in the Diocese of Graz-Seckau has made severe criticisms of Islam according to Media Reports. In his most recent pastoral letter as per a "Kleine" news, he said that a Swiss Author had omitted that Muslims can not be buried with non-believers. The pastoral letter reads: "it's not only pure racism, this is also a backward step to Hitler and Stalin -- they have resolved to extinguish and extinguished, easily, millions of 'lives unworthy of life'." In another article he is asked by an author if Islam makes you sick and if "Islam" twists "the psyche of people into the completely absurd." His answer to the author: "You have to suspect it".

Pastor Tropper stated his critical positions against Islam and spoke per "KLeine" word for word, of "pure racism" or "the Koran is the purest inflammatory pamphlet.. Muslims can't be integrated... Islam is intrinsically aggressive.. In 2050 Austria will be completely Islamic..." And: "Islam is the most repugnant." Tropper says Mosques can never be a house of God, because they produce nothing but war.

There is irritation at the Graz Chancery over the words of Pastor Tropper. Bishop Kapellari said to the "Kleinen" - Times: "Those who are in positions of responsibility in the Church do not bring a solution to these problems when they make horrible oversimplifications and offer such an uncultivated style. This touches also on the theme of Islam, which the Church will meet neither with naivete and certainly not with raw aggression either." Pastor Tropper himself shows himself unmoved by the Bishop's displeasure: "At first the Bishop grouched at me again, but from the evidence I can see he remains guilty. I have to follow my conscience."

Pastor Tropper also caused a stire last year. While preaching at a first Communion
according to the "Kleine" newspaper that those who leaves the Church, will count themselves in the company of Hitler, Stalin and other criminals. He received a reprimand then in 2010.

Original, at kath.net...

Schönborn: Liturgical Reform is the Reinforcement of Old Traditions

Editor: The evils of the gathering space.

The Viennese Archbishop at the Altar Blessing in the Viennese Parish Church of Schottenfeld: The people's altar of the Liturgical Reform has now pushed the altar space in the foreground and posited another symbolism.

Vienna (kath.net/KAP) The liturgical reform of the Second Vatican Council is not the weakening of traditions, rather their reinforcement. Cardinal Christoph Schönborn preached this on Sunday at the consecration of an altar in the Viennese parish church in Schottenfeld.

Before the reform the priest prayed at the high altar facing the same direction as the faithful to the east -- toward the rising of the sun which Christ symbolizes. The people's altar of the Liturgical Reform has now pushed the altar space in the foreground and posited another symbolism, said Schönborn: "We gather around the altar, around Christ." With this reform it is brought more clearly to expression, "that Christ is our center". That is the reason that the consecration of an altar has a special meaning, explained the Cardinal.

Schönborn preached among other things about the abuse cases in the Church and acknowledged the misdeeds "even of us priests". Above all the Church is concerned in the fugure to gather itself around Christ and focus its life on Him. Then one doesn't have to be afraid of the future, said the Cardinal.

Link to original, kath.net...

Habbemus Abbatem -- Heiligenkreuz Elects New Abbot P. Maximilian Heim

Editor: mentioned earlier because of the large number of vocations literally storming the place.

What is perhaps the most famous Monastery in the German speaking world has a new Abbot, P. Maximilian Heim, Professor for Fundamental Theology and member of the increasing Schülerkreis von Joseph Ratzinger.

P. Maximilian Heim is the new Abbot of Abbey Heiligenkreuz as kath.net has learned. Heim is the Professor for Fundamental Theology at the Phil.-Theol University of Benedict XVI. Heiligenkreuz and also a member of the Schülerkreis von Joseph Ratzinger.

P. Maximilian was born in Kronach [Bavaria] in 1961. He completed his degree in theology at Augsburg and in Abbey Heiligenkreuz. There he entered the Monastery in 1983. In 1988 he was delegated in the founding of a new Monastery in the Ruhr region. In 1996 he was called back to Heiligenkreuz and took over the office of Master of Novices and Cantors.

In 1998 to 2002 he concluded his Doctorate with Bernhard Korner at the Institute for Moral Theology and Dogmatics at the University of Graz, and in 2004 presented the dissertation theme on the Theology and Teaching of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger at the University of Holy Cross in Vienna. 2007 saw his following appointment as the full Professor of Fundmantal Theology and Dogmatics [Ecclesiology] in the Phil-Theol institute of Benedict XVI in Holy Cross. In September of 2004 he was made the prior in the recently established [1989] Priory of Stiepel in Bochum. In 2009 P. Maximilian was invited to participate in the growing Schülerkreis von Joseph Ratzinger/ Benedict XVI. On 10. February 2011, he was chosen as the new Abbot of Heiligenkreuz. With the selection of the new Abbot, the approved Catholic course is assured for the coming years.

Link to kreuz.net...

Video of leading a youth pilgrimage to Bocum, here. It's in German, but there are a lot of pictures.

Pope: The Church is not Merely the Dispenser of Social Services

Editor: While remaining ambivalent to the nature of the Church and the State, the Holy Father restates the importance of the State in maintaining the moral order.  Religion may not be merely limited as the participant in culture.

Rom (kath.net/as) This Thursday morning Pope Benedict invited the new ambassador of the Republic of Austria to the Holy See, Alfons M. Kloss, for the handing over of qualifications, with which this extraordinary and appointed emissary was accredited.

In his address Benedict XVI. called Austria the "Land of Cathedrals", that in its culture, its history and not least in everyday life, the faith is deeply stamped and, while at the same time it could demonstrate a long history of friendly coexistence between different religions and cultures.

The Pope went about the "peculiar tension" in the relation between Church and State which exist in the various states of Europe.  It appears that one wants to adjust the Gospel to the culture, yet it is painfully intended to avoid the fact that the culture has been participated in by the religious.

As a second point Benedict stressed the actuality of the respect for religious freedom, which allows the ecclesiastical community to exercise its various activities, from which from which the entire society makes use. The engagement of the Church has its deepest foundation in God, "in God, is love": "therefore it is necessary, to attend the nature and actual effect of the Church, without making it merely a bearer of social services.  It is much more evident in the completeness of a religious dimension."


So, there is in place of prayer, "the tendency to counter egotistical individualism.  For all communal powers consist in the penetrating and persistent mission, to secure the moral dimension of the culture, the dimension of a culture, that which is representative of people as well as of life in society. 

Finally the Pope underlined the importance of family politics and the meaning of marriage as a natural help to social ordering:  "Therefore, marriage and family necessitates the special protection of the state.  They are, for all of their members, a school of humanity with positive consequences for the individual and for society."

The Pope's complete address is available on kath.net in German, here...

Justice for Abbot Joachim Angerer

Its true, he was an Old Liberal.  But that is only one side of the coin.  German translation of Jurg-Werner Oberlasser.

(kreuz.net) The site 'kreuz.net' reported something hard last November about the Old Lineral Abbot Joachim Angerer (76).

The Prelate was from   1986 till his defacto ouster the leader of the Premonstratensian Cloister Geras.

The Stift is located in the Diocese of St. Polten.

I know from my own experience that Abbot Angerer isn't only just Old Liberal.  He was also Liberal.

So he allowed without any ifs and buts the Latin Mass, Latin prayers and many ancient usages which the young men then wanted.

I am very convinced and can recall a corresponding discussion with him that he allowed the old Mass in his Cloister and in the incorporated parishes by implication. 

Yes, he is Old Liberal, sometimes in a strange manner.  But he is also a good man, who imposed no limitations against his conservative fellow brothers and perhaps also from conviction.

Those who supported him, either left following his resignation -- and that -- or wanted themselves to be abbot.

In order to support the abbot, they used the lever of money.

The odd acolyte service of those priests now condemned for abuse had often criticized Abbot Angerer.

But he remained powerless against his fellow brothers.

One had to hold these dubious priests in the Priory of Fritzlar closed in the meantime.  For in the priory -- why indeed? -- that too many had gone.

About the former Bishop Krenn of St. Polten, who attempted, to outwit him, one can only shake one's head in the face of such hindsight.

The idea that Msgr Krenn had been really conservative, no one could seriously maintain.

Abortionist Uses Forceps to Kill Babies, Says Austrian Radio

Socialism with a human face?  Today the "Austrian Red Radio" had an unexpected bout of humanity.

(kreuz.net) The website of the left-leaning '‘Österreichischen Rundfunks' [Austrian Radio] is the largest internet medium of the land.

For years they have defended the violence of abortion against unborn people with macabre bitterness.

The reason was the criminal and abortionist Kermit Gosnell (69).

Butcher Gosnell murdered innocent children for years in a abortuary in Pennsylvania, USA, -- completely legally.

The 'Österreichische Rundfunk' called him a "doctor" and his slaughterhouse a "clinic" in any event.

Actually then the broadcaster made a sudden pirouette:  "Abortion doctor kills babies with forceps."

That has gripped the entire Country with "horror".

There, the broadcaster has nothing against the murder of unborn children, the problem for them appears to be the "forceps".

Really, it's how the Red Radio pampered doctors murder their devalued victims.

Perhaps caresses?

Read further...

He Fought the Good Fight: Professor Robert Prantner RIP

The deceased was presented during his life as the degreed Conservative of Austria to the public -- and usually not to the pleasure of the old Liberal Bishops.

(kreuz.net) On 10. December the worthy Austrian theologian, social ethicist and publicist Robert Pratner died.  he was 79 years old.  

Prantner studied philosophy, theology and political science after his graduation in 1949. 

He received his degree in Political Science involving work in Civil Law and International Relations.  Later he became a Doctor in theology.

The deceased was also an honorary doctor of Social Science.

From the year 1955 he was the personal scientific colleague of the former Chancellor of Austria, Julius Raab († 1964).

After his withdrawal from politics, Pratner lead his office from 1961 to 1964.

From 1974 to 1982 he was Professor for Ethics and Social Studies to the Philosophic-theological Order College of the Augustinian Choir at Stift Klosterneuburg in Vienna.

In 1982 he was occupied as the Professor for Ethics and Social Studies at the neo-Conservative Philosophic-theological University of the Cistercians at Stift Heiligenkreuz. He became an emeritus in 1998.

The deceased was the excellent ambassador and agent of the Sovereign Order of Malta.

Prantner was closely connected to the upper-Austrian garden suburb Aigen at the 'Theological Summer Academy".

In  2002 he was recognized with the Austrian Award for Science and Art 1st Class.

he published numerous works.  In 2004 his memoir appeared under the title "Between the Playing Fields and the Vatican".

His memorial Mass will take place on 21. December at 11 O'Clock in the Parish Church of the market town of Hinterbrühl  17 kilometers southwest of Vienna.

Mother Attacks Religious Sister

Austria [kreuz.net] Two young children fought briefly over a vocabulary book in a kindergarten run by old Liberal Franciscan sisters in Vöcklabruck in the Diocese of Linz.  The stronger five year old brutally struck the weaker.  For that he earned a well deserved canning from the kindergarten instrutor, a Nun.  The next day the mother of the beater came and struck the Nun brutally in the brutally in the face.  The old Liberal Order assigned the Sister with an occupational ban.  Sister will not work any longer in the occupational area of pedagogy  -- assured the Order.

Read original, kreuz.net...here.here.

No SSPX Priests Allowed in Vienna's Cathedral Book Store

The New Book About "Hetzendorf" by Publisher 'Facultas'

Today a book was ordered in Vienna, that didn't just bring the local Archdiocese to snort.  The first drops of sweat are flowing.

(kreuz.net, Wien) This evening Heidemarie Seblatnig presented her new book "Hetzendorf and the Iconoclasim of the Second Half of the 20th Century" in Vienna according to neo-Conservative videosite 'gloria.tv'.

Mrs Seblating has been a university lecturer at the Institute for Architectural Science at Technischen Universität Wien.

 Her book contains selections from nine authors.  Within the most recent iconoclastic attack on the Catholic Church is dealt with, which has raged since the 50s.

 The seminarian Michael Wimmer addressed the Iconoclasm as the rejection of ecclesiastical identity.

The Italian architect Ciro Lomonte asserted in his selection that the forms of expression in modern architecture do not work with Catholic Liturgy.

The aesthetic and institutional back ground of the late historical church building has been dealt with by Viennese Art Historian Inge Scheidl.

Under the provocative title "Altar Lights on the Firewood Crate" the Art Historian Mario Schwarz is also included in the volume.

The German Historian, Publisher and Luther researcher Gerhard Scuder writes about Martin Luther and his one of the causes of modern Iconoclasm.

Other authors are from the German Oratorian Father Uwe Michael Lang of the Congregation for Liturgy and the new Bavarian Cardinal Walter Brandmüller.

I Had to Wait Outside

Already the pre-history of this relevant and captivating book shows its explosive force.

The books should have been introduced in the Viennese Cathedral book store -- in the immediate vicinity of the Cathedral of St. Stephen.

Mrs. Seblatnig had won the Dogmatic Theologian of the Society of Pius X., Father Matthias Gaudron, as a consultant  for the book's presentation
.
Actually, then the Cathedral book store scrubbed the entire book presentation. Because of the Christmas business it basically can't give any more book presentations.

According to 'gloria.tv' the old Liberal Viennese Auxiliary Bishiop Helmut Krätzl is presenting his new hate book against the Church in the Cathedral bookstore.

Mrs Seblating was forced then to give the book presentation in the Schottenstift in the City Center.

Note: Hetzendorf was once the hunting lodge of the Hapsburgs.  It's now being used by a fashion school.

Swiss Pass Tougher Immigration Law

The ruling against new Minarets was greeted in the world press with horror and the almost universal cry of a return to Hitler and "fascist" from the editorial page of every newspaper in the world.  Now the UDC has voted for the deportation of foreign criminals and that same press is up in arms again, although there is still much talk about the guilt of white victims, it cites the issue from Daoudal blog, here:

The Swiss people approved, by a majority of votes (52.9%) in a majority of cantons (20 out of 26), the UDC's proposition on the automatic expulsion of foreign criminals. 

Here's an analysis at Gallia Watch, here.

Meanwhile, Newt Gingrich has further cemented his contact with Hispanic voters by his own conciliatory approach to immigration, and Catholicism. [He converted to Catholicism recently]

But other politicians aren't so conciliatory.  It's a real problem, especially in dealing with the Muslims as one Austrian politician here vehemently declares:

Numbers Briefing: TLM Locations in Central Europe

Austria:


View Hl. Messen in Österreich in a larger map


Germany:


Hl. Messen auf einer größeren Karte anzeigen


Netherlands and Belgium:


Mislocaties weergeven op een grotere kaart

H/t: SummorumPontificium,de, here. and Pro Missa Tridentina, here.

Related, Forty Four Percent of Germans Would Attend the Old Mass

Pope Benedict Won't Appoint Liberal Bishop's Choices for Auxiliary

Is the Linz Auxiliary Bishop on the Way?

Editor: considering the Vienna Cardinal's earlier attack against Pope Benedict's choice for auxiliary Bishop of the scandal Diocese of Linz, it might not be hard to see how Pope Benedict regards this situation, considering the embarrassment the Linz Bishop faces, lying to the press about the fact that Rome refuses to acknowledge any of his choices.

Bishop Schwarz denied to "Standard" - a rumour - that Rome has said "No", back -- fact is: The Bishop has already proposed a large number of people to Rome.

Linz (kath.net) The Linz Bishop Ludwig Schwarz has denied the "Standard" publicized rumour, that Rome supposedly has said "No" to a Linz Auxiliary Bishop.  "There isn't a single word in this report that's true!  Rome has not given me a refusal concerning this matter," said Schwarz to the "Linzer Kirchenzeitung" (LKZ).  The Linz Bishop has made known in any case, that the new Prefect required a time of "introduction and orientation in this matter".  As kath.net has learned from Roman Church circles, the Linz Bishop  Ludwig Schwarz has proposed an unusually large number of candidates to Rome.  Fact is, that till now none of the proposals have been accepted by Rome and this subject is explosive considering the forced resignation of Gerhard Maria Wagner.

"Condom" - Madonna: Still Being Defended by Freedom Party

The provocative exposition will be defended now as before by the Austrian Freedom Party.

St. Pölten (kath.net) In connection with the "art exhibit" in the National House of Lower Austria, the FPO National Council, Walter Rosenkranz is making a statement to the State Attorney General of St. Polten.   An Australian "artist" has put an oversized condom on a Marian statue and has covered it also with mock semen, which has till recently been on display at the Capital.

The FPO National Counsel maintained in his statement on § 188 of the penal code, in which the cases, of  "the villification of religious teachings, pratcies and symbols" the following is provided:  "Whoever publicly vilifies or ridicules a person or symbol, which is the object of honor of an existing church in this country, and whose conduct is the incitement of legitimate anger, is to be punished with up to six months of incarceration or receive a fine of up to 360 days at an established rate".   "The artist has in any case has acknowledged, a pubescent feeling as he defiled the Marian statue, which is important toward reaching the punitive judgment," says Rosenkranz

"the same stringent measures, which led to the immediate blocking of an internet site, which touched on the scope of a computer game which had a stop button making mosques disappear, must also be applied in this case,"  included Rosenkranz.  "The State Attorney of Saint Pölten must then decide, if these blasphemous pseudo-artworks will be removed and put in a safe area."  What in any case however is also to be clarified, is, who in general in the exercize of Haus rules in the Lower Austrian court had allowed the display of the respective object.  "This person is an accessory to the crime", says Rosenkranz.

Link to original, kreuz.net...http://www.kath.net/detail.php?id=28898

Editor: Why haven't the Muslims put a death Fatwah on this man?

Bishop Kung Would Like to Change the Course of 'Aktion Leben' - Austria

"Family" - Bishop Kung: Catholic teaching is not accounted for in the youth prevention [education]-- +Kung was also critical of the hunger strike of a pro-life activist in front of the Nunciature.

Vienna [kath.net]  The Austrian "Family" - Bishop Klaus Kung wants a significant change in course for the advice and education society "Aktion Leben" as reported by the "Presse".   The organization is "taking a direction in some ways, for example in youth prevention [education], that have failed to address significant portions of Catholic teaching,"  said Kung in an interview with the "Presse", Kung explained: "In the near future there will be a discussion with Aktion Leben about it's direction and goals."  The Austrian "Aktion Leben" has been criticized from inner-Church circles,  Kung in any case, directed criticism against an Austrian pro-life activist who is protesting in front of the Nunciature, who insists, that the "Aktion Leben" encourages women to have abortions.  Kung underscores  that this is embarking upon  "the wrong solution" to "Aktion Leben" and that it won't "facilitate but make more difficult", the dialog between the Society and the Church.

Link to the original, here kath.net...

Related:

Catholic Youth Learn the Kamasutra...

Famous Abortion Doctor Warns Against the Use of Condoms

Christian Fiala, one of the most famous abortion doctors in Austria: Condoms as a preventative aid is only partially effective -- protection only "from some" sexually transmitted diseases.

Vienna [kath.net] Surprise, surprise! Of all things Christian Fiala, one of the most famous abortion doctors in Austria, had warned on Wednesday against the use of condoms and in another broadcast he allowed that condoms as a contraceptive method is only partly effective. "They tend to lead unnecessarily to undesired pregnancies and therefore to terminated pregnancies," said Fiala. Actually his Firm Gynmed has noticed an upswing in the number of undesired "condompregnancies". According to an actual Gynmed Study (2009) over a third of all unwanted pregnancies (35 Percent!) occur, despite the use of a condom.

The abortion doctor further maintains that condoms actually protect from some sexually transmitted diseases but according to scientific studies of heterosexual youth there are no risk groups for sexually transmitted infections represented. The main risk group according to Fiala, are adult homosexuals, followed by adult heterosexuals.

Fiala had agreed to the broadcast because of the presentation of a study by a Condom Firm. "The study of the Condom Firm is great as an advertisement, but it is not in the interest of the young and doesn't serve for the improvement of their health" insisted Fiala to the gathered news media. The youth were questioned about their sexual relatinships and fears in the study. Especially erroneous is for Fiala the fact that It. study 27% of the questioned youth from Austria hadn't had any sexual intercourse. In other countries it was even above 40%.

Link to original...

Papal Primacy: Russia Leads the Resistance

[Chiesa] ROME, October 6, 2010 – While the Eastern Churches are slowly approaching the convocation of the pan-Orthodox "Great and Holy Council" that should finally unite them in a single assembly after centuries of incomplete "synodality," the other journey of reconciliation, which sees the East in dialogue with the Church of Rome, is also taking small steps forward.

The object of this dialogue concerns the only real sticking point dividing Catholicism and Orthodoxy, the primacy of the pope.

The latest evidence came a few days ago, in Vienna, where from September 20 to 27 the joint international commission for theological dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church met as a whole, precisely on the universal role of the bishop of Rome during the first millennium of Christian history.


Read further...

Pioneer of Natural Family Planning is Dead

Despite his spectacular success he was held in scorn and discounted his entire life because of his Catholic Faith.

(kreuz.net) The Austrian Doctor, Professor Dr. Josef Rötzer, died yesterday at 91 years of age.

This was according to the old liberal website, 'kathweb.at'.

Rötzer was born in Vienna on the 21st of March 1920.

After grammar school and Gymnasium, he began his education in Medicine in his home town in 1941.

In the year 1945 he married Margareta Kramann (2006). the pair had four children.

In the year 1947 he received his doctorate at the Pathological Anatomical Institute at the University of Vienna. There he was active till 1949.

From the 1st of January 1951, he was the official doctor in the State of Upper Austria in a town with a population of 12,000.

In this period he observed the fertile and infertile times in the woman's reproductive cycle. Upon coming to this conclusion, he evaluated the cycles of 300,000 women.

This helped him to develop a natural and inexpensive method, to prevent pregnancies about as proficiently as the physically toxic operative anti-child pill.

The cash bloated chemical industry understandably took no joy in Rötzer's findings.

On the basis of his research findings the Austrian Bishops financed him from the 1st of September 1966 till the 31st of December 1974 to give him a leave of absence from his official doctor's service.

So that Rötzer could conduct further scientific research in his special area.

In the year 1986 he founded the "Institute for Natural Family Planning".

In December 1992 the Austrian President conferred upon the doctor the title, "Professor".

Now his daughter Elisabeth works in the 'Institute for Natural Family Planning". She also publishes the corresponding publication.

Bishop Klaus Küng of Saint Pölten recalled for news agency 'Kathpress' that Rötzer because of his Catholic stand, "suffered many a setback in his work".

Read original in German, here...

Archdiocese of Vienna: Jesuit Priest Gets Platform for Pro-Homosexual Views

The "in good standing", not uncontroversial Jesuit priest in the periphery of "Apostle History 2010" gets an open mike - Mertes described Pope Benedict as "hard of hearing" and said that the Church suffers from homophobia.

Wien (kath.net) The "in good standing", but not uncontroversial Jesuit Klaus Mertes will receive an open mike in the last days of the event organized by the Archdiocese of Vienna 'Apostelgeschichte 2010" (Apostle History 2010) and intends to hold his impulsive lecture on the theme "But you will receive the power of the Holy Ghost". Mertes has been increasingly concerned over the media's revelations in the last months. That being said, he's mentioned Pope Benedict in an interview: "I have great respect for Benedict XVI., because he has no fear in the face of the truth of what has been revealed in the sexual abuse crisis. I wish that he could find in critics of the Church more love for the Church". Then the Jesuit stated that the Pope is "hard of hearing" and that God also speaks through the "secular world" to the Church.

At the end of January 2010 he became concerned with revelations of homosexuality. Mertes had criticized the Church's handling of homosexuality in connection with the abuse scandal at his own Berlin Canisius College (he's its Rector)as the abuse scandal then got the ball rolling in the Church and then he claimed: "The Church suffers from Homophobia. Homosexuality is silenced. Clerics with this inclination are uncertain if they will receive a fair hearing and still be accepted."

Mertes was especially critical also of the foundation of the "Work Group of Engaged Catholics in Union" (AEK). It is inconceivable to him how one can as a Catholic in the CDU, express <> in such confessional-political fury publicly and continually, wrote Mertes in an article for the Berlin "Tagesspiegel". His opinion about the corresponding is not the spirit of the C in the CDU, so said the Publizist and Rector of the Berlin Jesuit Gymnasium (Preparatory High School) of Berlin's Canisius College. The Jesuit priest is a son of the CDU Politician and State Minister in the Foreign Ministry Office, Alois Mertes (1921-1985). The meeting is set to take place at St. Stephens Cathedral from the 14th to the 16th of October.

Link to original, kath.net...

Eighty Hosts Stolen From Tabernacle: Austria

The stealing of the host is supposedly comparable with the willful destruction of a Tora-roll or the desecration of a graveyard.

[kreuz.net Graz] Unknown persons have damaged more churches in the Austrian Diocese of Graz-Seckau.

This was according to the Press Office of the Diocese today. The media has regarded this crime with indifference.

The press text in the main speaks of "more disturbances and defacement of Catholic churches."

The highpoint of these "diverse disturbances" was a quick forced entry into the city church of St. Paul:

"The tabernacle was broken into and unknown persons stole 80 hosts."

Episcopal Vicar Heinrich Schnuderl commented on the robbery of the All Holiest, "horrified":

"The desecration of a host is for us Christians an attack against the center of our faith."

It is manifestly not clear any more, that the Host in the tabernacle, "the body of Christ", is the All Holy for Catholics.

The Episcopal Vicar identified the sacrilege, supposedly, with "a Toraroll in the Jewish Synagogue or an Islamic Koran, and also comparable to the desecration of a grave for example, in a Jewish graveyard."

Bishop Against Anti-Islam-Online Game

In the same press relase Bishop Egon Kapellari of Graz-Seckau criticized an on-line game for the right-people's party, 'FPO'.

On the page "moschoo-baba.at" the the user must shoot stop signs at newly appearing mosques.

Msgr Kapellari views this as a threat against religious peace in Steyria:

"That puts up a barrier to inter religious respect and should be strictly avoided."

Original...kreuz.net