Heiligenkreuz unaware of any serious allegations which could have lead to the visitation

Vatican religious authority wants to obtain a "precise picture" and promote "sustainable development" – Prior Chavanne: "We are not aware of any errors."

The Cistercian Abbey of Heiligenkreuz in the Baden district will be the target of an apostolic visitation. The Dicastery for Consecrated Life wants to obtain "a precise picture of the situation of monastic life and the leadership of the abbey," the abbey announced on its website. The Vatican religious authority wants to promote "sustainable development" and protect the abbey "from possible internal and external threats," Kathpress also reported on Monday.

The Abbey responded by gladly accepting the Visitation. "As a Cistercian monastery that has existed for almost nine centuries and has been blessed with many vocations, especially in recent decades, but also faces many new tasks and challenges, we see this as an aid to renewal and growth in order to serve the Church even better today," the monastery's statement on its website reads.

A corresponding letter was received in Heiligenkreuz on June 5th and addressed to Abbot Maximilian and the convent. It also emphasized that the visitation should be understood as an "expression of benevolent support," monastery prior Father Johannes Paul Chavanne told Kathpress. Specific background information or dates are not yet known.

Monastery is unaware of any serious allegations

"We are not aware of any errors. If errors have occurred, we are grateful that they have been brought to our attention," Chavanne told ORF Lower Austria. They are unaware of any serious allegations, but they cannot be ruled out either.

According to Kathpress, the abbey is "looking forward to the visitation with confidence" and is happy to accept it. "We are grateful for the support and help where we need it, especially since, as a large institution, we are aware that we are receiving a lot of attention and publicity."

About Heiligenkreuz Abbey

Heiligenkreuz Abbey was founded in 1133 by Margrave Leopold III and his wife Agnes as a Cistercian abbey, making it one of the oldest surviving monasteries of the order. It is known for its unbroken monastic tradition, its cultivation of Gregorian chant, and its theological college, which was elevated to a university of pontifical right by Pope Benedict XVI (2005–2013) in 2007. Benedict XVI also visited the abbey during his visit to Austria in 2007.

The monastery is responsible for pastoral care in 21 parishes and the Säben Monastery in South Tyrol, and operates priories in Neukloster (Wiener Neustadt) and in the German towns of Neuzelle, Bochum-Stiepel, and Maria Friedenshort.

The monastery currently has almost 100 monks in its convent, a record high in its nearly 900-year history. There are also around 300 students at the Heiligenkreuz University of Applied Sciences and around 40 seminarians at the Leopoldinum Seminary.

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The Austrian press is overflowing today with articles about Heiligenkreuz.  I have chosen the most informative.