Politicians in Austria want to add commemorations of executions of witches and heretics to be added to Papal Cross

 Papal Cross in Vienna's Danube Park sparks political controversy

Critics demand different perspectives in public space

A cross in Vienna's Danube Park commemorates the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1983. Critics are demanding that victims of religious persecution also be publicly commemorated. The proposal is causing a dispute among Austria's political parties.

The Papal Cross in Vienna's Danube Park is causing political controversy in Austria's capital. A debate has erupted in the responsible district council over the monument, which commemorates a visit by Pope John Paul II in 1983. At that time, an estimated 350,000 people gathered for a Mass with the head of the Catholic Church. So far, a plaque commemorates this event.

Politicians from the liberal NEOS party have now proposed that the cross be "contextualized." Specifically, memorial plaques are to be installed there for people persecuted by the Church; for example, for Anna Göldi, who was executed for witchcraft in 1782, and for Giordano Bruno (1548-1600), who was burned at the stake in a dispute with the Inquisition.

"Making religious power visible"

A NEOS spokesperson told the Catholic News Agency (KNA) on Friday: "It's about contextualizing religious symbolism—so that public space remains neutral and different perspectives become visible." The initiative is not about reinterpreting the Pope's visit, nor is it intended to attack anyone. Rather, it aims to make religious power visible through historical examples.

The proposal has drawn criticism from representatives of the ruling Austrian People's Party (ÖVP). The Austrian newspaper "Kronen Zeitung" quoted a statement from the ÖVP on Friday, in which they see the proposal as a "malicious act against Austria's Christian heritage." The party warns against removing Christian symbols from public spaces. At the same time, she emphasizes that the existing plaque sufficiently explains the historical context. A decision on the application from the responsible cultural commission is still pending.

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