Beginning of the end of the Church in Austria

Austrian Church changes enter their final act.

Mergers-Thousands discuss mergers of parishes and deaneries. At the grass roots, there is open criticism of the system.

The parishes will come together. Freely St. Pölten's Chief Shepherd Klaus Küng denounces “the evaporation of faith ". His prescribed renewal process for the Diocesan structures after month long and restricted discussions now takes its first forms. As an overture to structural reform, the church districts will be cut by this trained surgeon. The 25 deaneries will shrink to 20.

How to take away administrative obesity has not exactly been decided. Certainly, a merger is likely of Heidenreichstein and Weitra with Gmünd, and also in Mostviertel there are ideas. Next year a more serious change: mergers within the 424 parishes, one third of whom are without their own priest.

Under discussion are two models: Tight merger or loose parish associations where the team work on joint service provision. A hybrid is possible across the area of the Diocese.

Wide-ranging discussions with all the priests and lay officials have been launched, even with a lay personal consultant as a "facilitator".
(Cathcon- prepare ye the way of the management consultant)

No illusion
Criticism is not enough. "The fact that the leadership at all levels permits so broad debate, is a positive thing" admits Father Udo Fischer, parish priest of 2500 souls in Paudorf. "But let us have no illusion: What emerges in the end, is long established."

(Cathcon- the same Udo Fischer, who conducted a vendetta over years with is Bishop, Kurt Krenn. One can only be sad that God’s Providence did not allow to flourish in this Pontificate)Specifically? "The priest shortage and exodus of the faithful means that the hierarchy has unfortunately has no better solution than to close or combine parishes." The idea is wrong, "that a priest can give personal care to 10,000 people or more." The trend is completely down: "In 25 years, we will have no people and no more money."

Father Udo and the former Viennese Vicar General Helmut Schüller

(Cathcon note- Schüller gave the Cardinal Archbishop such nightmares that he sacked him by pushing a letter under his door- which says something about them both).

argue against the scalpal strategy with their "Parish Initiative" (300 members across Austria). Their approach: Challenging celibacy and suggesting lay ordination. "The bishops have to be united and have a serious word with Rome." (Cathcon note-the Austrian Bishops Conference are unique in the world-arguing publicly during an ad-Limina to Rome).

By autumn 2008, the new structures "will be put in place."

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