What Distinguishes You From Helmut Schüller, Lord Bishop?

Humbug: "There is no right to any kind of "disobedience", but if one believes that the Church doesn't want blind obedience, there is but an act with solidarity in the midst of wide fields of pastoral possibilities."

(kreuz.net) "I refuse to use the polemical word "disobedience" when it comes to discussing the Pastors' Initiative."

Bishop Egon Kapellari of Graz said this on the 7th of September for the Austrian anti-Church news 'Standard'.

Msgr Kapellari appealed that the whole Church should be viewed thus: "The global Church is anything but at rest."

He bent the ear of the anti-Church magazine: "We would be pleased-- especially when it comes to the media -- 'if the successes received more attention."

Because: "A Church, that is presented as weaker than She is, can not help society any better."

Church schools, kindergartens and hospitals are more sought after than ever before.

But: "The Song of Songs of displeasure is sung in the Church and society."

There is enough cause for tears, but not so much reason to complain.

Only no clarity

"We accept the indissolubility of a sacramental marriage without a doubt" -- explained the Bishop.

Yet at the same time he let loose the following antithesis: "One must proceed with sympathy and sensitivity with the various biographies of remarried divorced."

One may not simply reject someone at the "communion rail", but rather should talk to them individually, in order to heal their wounds.

The 'Standard' did not let themselves be impressed by the Bishop's pastoral drivel:

"But if you know that there are remarried divorced in your diocese receiving Communion, as Bishop, you have to intervene, no?"

Msgr. Kapellari coiled himself up: He has had many discussions with those affected by separation and always seeks them out, to help them, "with boundaries for life and otherwise to learn that they are not strangers in their Church."

Weighty Norms that Aren't Valid

Here the Episcopal chat hit a wall: "What do you make of Helmet Schüller. Are you also "disobedient", if you don't undertake this?" -- asked the newspaper.

Again, Msgr Kapellari turned a pirouette: "There is no right to any kind of "disobedience", but if one believes that the Church doesn't want blind obedience, there is an act with solidarity in the midst of wide fields of pastoral possibilities."

The 'Standard' offered in return that the Faith then gets undermined by "substantial leeway".

Msgr Kapellari flew into humbug:

"In every society there are weighty norms, which one may not allow to be undermined. There are, however, also tensions which are very humanly understandable when it comes to translating this to those affected by the horizon of praxis."

"I won't let myself be locked down"

At the intimation that the media sponsored "Pastors' Intiative" will have foreseeable and longstanding structural consequences, he let the cat out of the sack:

"I won't generally say for sure, if anyone has been led to be counterproductive, that one should, as it is said, be thrown out of the community.

He repeated himself: "I won't let myself be locked down, as to how far Pastor Schüller may go."

He would like "to keep everyone in the boat".

He would like to invite, "that no one should be boring into the hull of the ship, but pay more attention to the wind in the sails."

No Tricks?

The 'Standard" tried to play up the Mini-Pastors' Initiative: "Umpteen priests have signed the Call already."

Msgr Kapellari countered: "The Call only consists of a Board of Directors."

And took it back in the same moment: "But I wouldn't say it was not small."

For still: "But I would like to put it all in perspective, but not with Tricks."

Link to kreuz.net...

Liberal Press Continues to Delight in Austrian Dissidents' Rebellion

Edit: Ho-hum. Most Austrians don't care about this sort of thing. A lot of times, ecclesiastical Liberals lament that people aren't drawn to the Catholic Church because of the conventions and dogmas it's been enslaved to. However, in the half-century or so since Liberals have been at the helm, and had every opportunity to put a different face on religion, some say even alter it so it's unrecognizeable as religion, there has been a catastrophic drain of people and resources from the pews every Sunday and an almost wholesale abandonment of the Church in the West.

It's hard to see how a very small tribe of ecclesiastical Liberals with the same ideas that emptied the Church in the first place, are going to take many people with them into their desacralized world without revelation, without beauty and devoid of love.

People, and that includes Austrians, are a lot smarter than that. Most Austrians could care less, despite the media atention it's gotten and the various Austrian Bishops who've spoken in favor of it -- much to their disgrace -- of this Call to Disobedience.

Here's the Tablet, getting things wrong as it usually does:

Austrian abbots say Schönborn cannot stop schism

1 September 2011
The highly influential Austrian abbots said this week that talk of schism in the Austrian Church could not be damped down, nor the current conflict resolved, by a meeting between the Archbishop of Vienna Cardinal Christoph Schonbörn and representatives of dissident priests. The Church has been in turmoil since the more than 300 priests of the Austrian Priests' Initiative called for disobedience on matters such as priestly celibacy and communion for remarried divorcees. Abbot Martin Felhofer of Schlägl Abbey said: "This can no longer be solved by the cardinal alone. Everyone - bishops, abbots, Religious and representatives of the Austrian Priests' Initiative - must sit down and the discuss the problems together."

Link to original...

Poll: Majority of Austrians View Heretical "Pastors' Initiative" as Publicity Stunt

Surprise:  The majority of Austrians view the anti-Roman "Pastor's Initiative" of Helmut Schüller as a "publicity stunt"  -- ORF and Standard promote the Pastors' Initiative.


Vienna (kath.net) The Austrian population views the anti-Roman "Pastors Initiative" mostly (52 %) as a "publicity stunt" of a few priests. This is from a present poll by the Human Institute. The Initiative, which some Austrian media outlets like "Standard" or "ORF" are promoting it almost daily, is not "understood" by 18 percent, and only for 30 percent is it a legitimate "Attempt at Reform". For the majority of those questioned (56 %) the reform of religion is "difficult" to reconcile, for 22 percent it is "mostly" not. Over 850 Austrians were polled, 73 percent of those polled described themselves as "religious and believing".

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"Disobedience": Proposals are a 'False Path' says Retired Heiligenkreuz Abbot

Gregor Henckel-Donnersmarck in the "Kurrier" -- Interview:  Making a point of view, in order to get people's attention, is "not right".

Vienna (kath.net/KAP) Retired Cistercian Heiligenkreuz Abbot Gregor Hencke-Donnersmarck describes the Pastors' Initiative as a "wrong path". "A deficit in Faith will not be corrected in more pastors," so says +Henckel-Donnersmarck in an interview with the daily "Kurier" on the (20th. August) It would be more important to the message to baptised and confirmed people; "there, where the priest can't get there. There is no prohibition against preaching, rather there is even a mandate," said the Abbot.

The question isn't whether priests should marry or women should be priests: "it is on the capacity for modern people to believe", says the Cistercian +Henckel-Donnersmarck

The Heiligenkreuz Abbot fears in general that in Euroope, people have lost the sensus for the Faith: "chasing after them, to give a point of view, only to get their attention, is also not right," says Henckel-Donnersmarck. "We have a message, which we must hold to."

Church is a "very indulgent authority, but it still isn't a democracy at heart", insists Hecnkel-Donnersmarck with a glance to the "Discussion on Disobedience". "We should speak of the important themes like th Sacraments and Jesus Christ in these difficult pastoral situations."

As to the question if anything new can be permitted in the Church, the Abbot referenced Pope Benedict XVI: There is a development in the Church with "strong, new impulses". There remains though an "unalterable message". One should not bow to new fashions or allow themes push their way in, "which have nothing directly to do with the Faith".

Link to original...