Shocking Ecumenical Corpus Christi in Linz
From 2017. The logical conclusion of Conciliar ecumenism
Lutherans celebrate Martin Luther and 500 years of the Reformation. The Diocese enthusiastically joined in the celebration, and the Corpus Christi procession in the traditional rite had to be canceled. Apparently so as not to disrupt the ecumenical event.
The Catholic Church has been celebrating the Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ since 1264. Pope Urban IV introduced this feast, which was already celebrated in the Diocese of Liège at that time, for the universal Church with the bull Transiturus de hoc mundo. The impetus for this was a Eucharistic miracle that he recognized and that had occurred the previous year in Bolsena.
The feast emphasizes the real presence of Jesus Christ under the forms of bread and wine. A real presence that has been repeatedly doubted throughout history. Even the priest Peter of Prague had doubts and set out on a pilgrimage to Rome because of these torments. As he celebrated Holy Mass at the tomb of the martyr Christina in Bolsena, Christ himself answered the question of the Real Presence through a Eucharistic miracle. Pope Urban IV saw this as a sign from heaven. The feast is intended, above all, to be a celebration of gratitude for Christ's institution of the Holy Eucharist and to bring blessing to the world into which the Lord is carried in procession.
Among those who deny the Real Presence, in whole or in part, are the communities of the Reformation. While the Reformed deny it entirely, the Lutherans see it as a fleeting moment. This deficient understanding of the Real Presence is a central reason why the Catechism of the Catholic Church states:
"The ecclesial communities resulting from the Reformation and separated from the Catholic Church have not preserved, primarily because of the lack of the sacrament of Holy Orders, the original and complete reality of the Eucharistic mystery. For this reason, Eucharistic intercommunion with these communities is not possible for the Catholic Church" (CCC, 1400).
Feast of Gustavus Adolphus on Corpus Christi
The Feast of Corpus Christi is a public holiday in Austria. Protestants, of course, do not celebrate this feast. For them, it is simply a day off work, which they owe to the Catholics. In Upper Austria, the Protestant Church of the Augsburg Confession celebrates its Church Day every year on the Feast of Corpus Christi.
One could now argue that they do this because the day off work is simply the right time for it. But one could also assume that they deliberately celebrate Corpus Christi to counter the "Lutheran counter-model" to the Catholic understanding of the Real Presence. Until recently, the Church Congress was called the "Gustav Adolf Festival." This provocation has since been abandoned by the renaming. Celebrating Gustav Adolf in the German-speaking world, and especially in a Catholic country, demonstrates an impressive lack of sensitivity and a worrying degree of arrogance, which one should keep in mind in order to understand Protestant self-image. This is especially true in Austria, where about half of the legal members of the Lutheran Church belong to the Church because they do not want to be Catholic.
Gustav Adolf II, King of Sweden from 1611 to 1632, wreaked havoc, robbing, and murdering havoc throughout the German-speaking world, even deep into Austria. That the Germans and Austrians honored (and continue to honor) him for this destruction is a mystery of the psyche. This is even more true in Austria. Protestants there still complain today about the harsh, Catholic regime of Emperor Ferdinand II. Compared to Gustav Adolf, Ferdinand was a truly lenient ruler. He did force 3,000 Protestants from Carinthia, Styria, and Upper Austria, who wanted to adhere to their faith, to emigrate to Protestant imperial territories. This was done according to existing imperial law. Gustav Adolf, on the other hand, simply had the Catholics executed.
The Oberösterreichische Nachrichten (OÖN), claiming to be a "quality medium," reports the following fabricated tale in today's edition: "Under Ferdinand II, 100,000 Upper Austrians had to leave their homeland because of their faith." One can hardly believe one's own eyes. In reality, only 250 such cases are known. This corresponds to exactly 0.25 percent (!) of the number claimed by the OÖN. The editor was apparently so eager to pander to the Lutherans and believe Catholics were capable of any atrocity that he didn't even stumble over the gigantically inflated number. That's called prejudice, by the way. 100,000, just by the way, would have been more than a quarter of the entire population at the time. Such an operation would have been impracticable for practical reasons alone.
Just recently, this daily newspaper hosted a panel discussion on fake news, announcing its own point of view instead of taking a look at itself. The message for the "joint" Church Congress (former Gustav Adolf Festival), the Luther Year, and the Reformation commemoration is clear: The bad guys are always the Catholics.
Sending a "strong, joint message" for the Luther Year
For the Luther Year, the goal (in plain English, Cathedral Pastor Maximilian Strasser and Lutheran Superintendent Gerold Lehner) was to send a "strong, joint message" explaining why Protestants and Catholics in Upper Austria should celebrate together. But what should they celebrate together? Did the Protestants celebrate Corpus Christi together with the Catholics yesterday? No. Rather, the Catholics celebrated their Church Congress with the Protestants – and, to be precise, the schism caused by Martin Luther 500 years ago.
The Protestants have their Martin Luther Church in Linz, with a large, beautiful square in front of it. No, the Church Congress wasn't celebrated there, but on the Domplatz in front of the Catholic cathedral. Was there a purpose in the change of location, or was there a form of deceit behind it? An attempt to force together what doesn't belong together?
The Catholics celebrated Corpus Christi in the cathedral with Bishop Manfred Scheuer, while the Lutherans held a celebratory service for the Church Congress outside. The two events are on very different levels. A Church Congress is a secular event. But when it comes to liturgy, conversations with Protestants are difficult anyway.
"I can't do anything else – or I'll burst"
The Church Congress's motto was "I can't do anything else – or I'll burst." Whatever the meaning of the motto, a picture of balloons was shown, which would later have a meaning on that day.
The Church Congress website reads:
"The festive service at the Cathedral Square is a highlight of the Upper Austrian Church Congress. It culminates in an ecumenical encounter with Catholic Christians to jointly set an example of living ecumenism."
Apart from this cryptic reference, however, nothing is found. The "details" of this encounter were thus agreed upon in the "ecumenical backroom." One suspects why. In the Cathedral Parish Letter, Cathedral Pastor Strasser announced:
"The Feast of Corpus Christi will take a somewhat different form this year. The Evangelical Church A.B. of Upper Austria will hold its Reformation commemoration service on the Cathedral Square as part of its Church Congress. The conclusion of their service and our Corpus Christi procession will be a joint celebration."
No clarification. Not a word that the Lutherans can only hold their service at the Cathedral Square because the bishop and cathedral pastor allow it. Two events at the same location are officially unthinkable. In retrospect, the Diocese of Linz's website states quite bluntly that the Church Congress and the Luther commemoration "took place on Linz's Cathedral Square at the invitation of the Catholic Church."
The cathedral priest clarifies the spirit of this with the next sentence: "I know that this is not yet the communion in the Lord's Supper that many desire and long for, but I consider it an important step toward that goal."
Not a word of explanation as to why this "desired communion in the Lord's Supper" is a pipe dream as long as Lutherans reject most of the sacraments, especially the sacrament of Holy Orders. Cathedral Pastor Strasser has probably never read Luther anyway. He lacks any critical distance from Protestantism.
As the cathedral priest had announced, Bishop Scheuer joined the Lutherans at the end of Holy Mass with the Corpus Christi Procession on the Cathedral Square. The Church Day was the fourth station of the procession. Not a single knee bent, no homage was paid to the Lord. Some Lutheran pastors turned their backs on the Blessed Sacrament. Surely completely unintentionally. They simply didn't notice what was happening behind their backs. Numerous participants in the Lutheran festive service did, however, stand. Whether this was for the arrival of the bishop or for the Lord is unclear.
The website of the Diocese of Linz is certainly enthusiastic:
"Two traditional festivals that culminated in a shared ecumenical encounter: Approximately 1,300 Protestant and Catholic Christians gathered on Linz's Cathedral Square on 15 June 2017, to set a strong ecumenical tone."
The Christian Democrat State Governor Thomas Stelzer (ÖVP) and the Red Mayor Klaus Luger (SPÖ) were present. The event was thus accorded the highest protocol significance.
Now the question arises as to what purpose this confusion serves, if the bishop carries the Blessed Sacrament to Lutherans who do not believe in the real presence of Jesus Christ, at least not at that moment. Did the bishop speak to them about the real presence of the Lord? No, he did not. Instead, Bishop Scheuer and Superintendent Gerold Lehner handed each other Bible translations. Aha.
Finally, 500 balloons with blessings were distributed. Balloons seem to be particularly popular in church circles these days. Perhaps because they so aptly express a certain infantilization?
In the end, the monstrance with the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar stood on the stage, but not in the center. The center was Bishop Scheuer and Superintendent Lehner. On Lehner's side, a Catholic stood holding up the Holy Scripture, while on Scheuer's side, a priest held the monstrance with the Lord. A production with new symbolism: The framing of the Lutheran intendant?
Scheuer and Lehner gave the blessing to those present. No, Bishop Scheuer did not give a Eucharistic blessing. Couldn't that have been expected of the Lutherans? Can one even expect someone to do something they don't understand or recognize? But then why this "ecumenical act" at all?
Ecumenism displaces tradition
Then everyone who wanted to continued from the Cathedral Square to the Landhaus. Why didn't they stay on the Cathedral Square? Or move to Luther Square? Beer tables had been set up on the promenade, and a stage had been erected. There was barbecue, food, and drinking. So far, so good. However, at the expense of uninvolved third parties.
There are only a few Corpus Christi processions in Linz. The Corpus Christi procession in the traditional rite is an integral part of the celebration. All preparations had been made this year as well. Yesterday, it had to be canceled at short notice. The state administration hadn't provided the necessary altars. Just like that? Where an altar for a Gospel reading should have stood, barbecues for the Church Congress stood. The message: The Church Congress displaced the Corpus Christi procession. That is the price that had to be paid for yesterday's ecumenical spectacle. A price demanded by those not involved. With a little goodwill, the procession could have taken place despite the Church Congress occupying a large space. But this goodwill was lacking. Without altars, it wasn't possible. Some celebrated, others were presented with a fait accompli.
Balloons
Who is responsible for this? In the end, as so often, no one. "They thought," the state administration said, that the Church Congress would be held on the same site anyway. And anyway, there had been problems in a warehouse where the altars are housed.
Did the state government think that the procession in the traditional rite was unnecessary, since Lutherans and Catholics celebrate together? Did the diocese signal something like this to the state government? Or did the Corpus Christi procession in the traditional rite simply disrupt the ecumenical image? After all, one must overcome divisions and emphasize common ground. Incidentally, Luther brought divisions into the foreground, and common ground requires a solid foundation in truth.
The report on the Diocese of Linz's website is astonishing. It uncritically adopts the Protestant narrative and, in all seriousness, declares the Cathedral Square a negative place, a "place of division." Here, too, the following applies: Lutheran is good, Catholic is bad. The Cathedral Square only becomes "good" through ecumenism.
The overall impression of the 2017 Corpus Christi festival in Linz is bitter: ecumenism overshadows Corpus Christi and consumes the Corpus Christi procession.
The fact is, even if no one wanted it, that the Lutheran Church Congress, ironically held to commemorate the Reformation, which Bishop von Dompfarrer diligently participated in, successfully displaced the traditional Corpus Christi procession. Not a nice gesture, especially not in the spirit of the much-vaunted ecumenism.
And anyway: What message in truth did the concoction that Bishop Scheuer staged with the Lutheran superintendent on the Domplatz actually want to send?
Fitting with yesterday's vague and even alarming event is the fact that the Linz Cathedral was closed the day after, and the controversial renovation work on the sanctuary began. Another project by the Dompfarrer – on the way to a "different" church?
See also
The big Linz Corpus Christi Scandal
Dixieland Jazz Corpus Christi.....in Linz
More Corpus Christi stories- I will update the older ones this week
The Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter in Linz know what to do for Corpus Christi
.jpeg)
Comments