Austrian Bishops Conference General Assembly press release. Urgency of "ecological conversion". One mention of God, fails to mention Jesus or Christ.
Or better to say, the Real Absence of Christ from the modern Church and then they wonder why their Churches are empty.
Bishops' Conference: Victim Protection, Middle East, Ecological Conversion
Text of the press releases at the Plenary Assembly of the Austrian Bishops' Conference from June 16 to 18 in Mariazell
Fifteen years ago, after reports of acts of violence and sexual abuse in the church came to light, the Austrian Bishops' Conference implemented numerous measures to provide concrete assistance to those affected, heal psychological wounds, and strengthen prevention. At the request of Cardinal Christoph Schönborn and the bishops, Waltraud Klasnic assumed the role of Independent Victim Protection Advocate. Subsequently, the Independent Victim Protection Commission was established under her chairmanship. A few months later, the Bishops' Conference adopted guidelines against abuse and violence in the church sector, based on the biblical motto "The truth will set you free" (John 8:32), which have been in effect ever since and were last updated in 2021.
The developments since then were the subject of a study day for the bishops, the vast majority of whom were not yet in office 15 years ago. In addition to Waltraud Klasnic and other members of the Independent Victims' Protection Commission, members of the church's Victims' Protection Foundation and the Victims' Protection Advisory Board of the Bishops' Conference also participated in the deliberations.
In discussions with the experts present, it was noted that the church's handling of abuse cases has fundamentally improved and that the church's guidelines and institutions in Austria have proven their worth. They have become exemplary for similar institutions in the state and social spheres and are considered exemplary worldwide within the Catholic Church. At the same time, it is important not to let up in this regard. Assistance for victims, procedures in cases of suspicion, and preventive measures must be consistently continued. These include, for example, regular training for all those working full-time or as volunteers in the church sector. The commitment to abuse prevention and victim protection is never complete. They must be a key concern for everyone in the church, but especially for those who hold positions of responsibility within the church.
The focus of the deliberations was the work of the Independent Victims' Protection Commission. Since 2010 (as of May 31, 2025), it has decided a total of 3,492 cases, 3,214 of which were in favor of the victims. A total of 3,640 victims of psychological, physical, and/or sexual violence were involved, including 2,271 men (62.4 percent) and 1,369 women (37.6 percent). A total of €37.7 million has been awarded to those affected to date, including €29.79 million in financial aid and €7.91 million for therapy. The church has implemented all decisions of the Independent Victims' Protection Commission.
The vast majority of incidents are legally time-barred and occurred primarily in the 1960s and 1970s. 11.7 percent occurred in the 1980s, 4.8 percent in the 1990s, and 1.8 percent have occurred since 2000. Eighty percent of those affected reported psychological violence, 79 percent physical violence, 27 percent sexual violence, and 11 percent physical and sexual violence, with multiple responses possible. The majority of incidents occurred in church-run homes and boarding schools.
After 15 years, Waltraud Klasnic will resign from her position as victim protection advocate at the end of the year. Following the unanimous recommendation of the Independent Victim Protection Commission, Caroline List will head the Independent Victim Protection Advocacy starting in 2026. She was appointed by the Austrian Bishops' Conference in agreement with the Austrian Conference of Religious Orders. Caroline List, who is the President of the Graz Regional Court for Criminal Matters, has been a member of the Independent Victims' Protection Commission for 15 years and will chair it in the future. The Austrian bishops thank both highly deserving women for their invaluable service to victims of abuse and violence.
Much has been achieved over the past 15 years in the Church's efforts against abuse and violence and for child protection. This does not undo the suffering of those who needed protection and care from the Church and its leaders, but experienced the opposite. Never again must the reputation of the institution be placed above the suffering of the victims, that perpetrators are merely transferred and crimes are covered up. The bishops and all church officials in Austria have committed themselves to this, and this must not be deviated from.
Violence against and sexual abuse of minors is a painful reality, especially in private settings and throughout society. The goal must be a broad social alliance to break the still widespread taboo surrounding it and to protect children even better.
2. Peace and security for all in the Middle East
The world is following the renewed escalation of violence in the Middle East with great concern. The war between Israel and Iran has already claimed numerous lives and brought destruction and misery. We bishops urgently warn of the latent nuclear threat and a conflagration that can no longer be controlled. Our sympathy and prayers are with the civilian victims and their families in Israel and Iran; with the dead and wounded and their families; with those who have lost their homes and have been forced to flee. We therefore urgently appeal to the parties to the conflict to cease hostilities so that there are no more victims.
Pope Francis never tired of condemning war, which not only fails to bring lasting solutions to conflicts but is always a "human defeat." Pope Leo XIV made peace a guiding principle of his pontificate and urged those in power in Israel and Iran to refrain from violence and to exercise reason. He also emphasized the duty of all countries to work for peace, pursue paths of reconciliation, and promote solutions that ensure security and dignity for all. At the same time, the Pope explicitly emphasized: "No one should ever threaten the existence of another." We bishops would like to fully endorse these calls and admonitions of the Popes and state: All people in the Middle East have a right to a life of peace and security. Violence and counter-violence cannot create lasting peace and security for all.
Our thoughts at this time are also with the Christians in the Holy Land, who have already suffered so much from war and its economic consequences. Now life has come to a standstill again. In our faithful solidarity, we also think of the small Christian minority in Iran, which makes up less than half a percent of the population. These Christians belong to various churches. Most of them belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church, but there are also Catholic believers there. In conflicts, it is always the minorities who are the first to suffer. A swift silencing of the guns is all the more necessary to prevent this from happening.
We bishops thank the Austrian federal government for all its efforts at the bilateral and multilateral level to end the violence in the Middle East. We earnestly ask everyone for persistent prayer for peace and invite the faithful to participate in prayer initiatives with this intention.
3. Ten Years of "Laudato Si'i" - The World Finally Needs an Ecological Conversion
Ten years ago, on June 18, 2015, Pope Francis published the encyclical "Laudato Si'i" - On Care for Our Common Home. With this letter, the Pope reached the consciences of so many "people of good will" who are committed to God's good creation and socially just coexistence. "Laudato si" highlighted the ecological and social crises of our time with unprecedented clarity and called for a holistic ecology that considers the environment, society, economy, and spirituality together. The concept of "ecological conversion" has since become a leitmotif of church environmental work. Its spiritual source is the emotion of the beauty of creation, which gives hope and urges action.
Ten years later, the global community faces even greater ecological and social challenges – from climate change and the loss of biodiversity to growing inequality. A sober look at human-induced climate change makes it clear that all efforts to date are still far from slowing the increasing global warming. Heat, drought, floods, and agricultural production losses continue to worsen, especially in Europe. As the recently published national climate report shows, Austria is disproportionately affected by this.
At the same time, many people have become more aware of the need for an "ecological conversion". The numerous projects that have been realised in Austrian parishes and dioceses are encouraging. They are as numerous and diverse as church life and environmental issues: the projects and voluntary commitment range from energy self-sufficient schools to food rescue, sustainable cemetery design, the establishment of energy communities and photovoltaic initiatives.
With the encyclical "Laudato si", Pope Francis presented a Christian life programme and a survival programme for humanity in 2015. The Catholic Church in Austria will continue to campaign for an "ecological conversion" and intensify measures to promote life and the environment in its own area. The increasingly noticeable effects of global warming, including in Austria, and the associated damage and dangers make it clear that "caring for our common home" is a matter of survival and can no longer be postponed. Politics and society in Austria must assume responsibility in global solidarity more decisively than before.
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