The Roman refusal to take up long needed reforms, the priests say, and the inaction of the bishops, not only permit but demand that they follow their conscience and take action themselves.
Read moreTag: Austria
An Austrian bishop on intercommunion, celibacy
“If non-Catholic partners can say Yes to the Catholic doctrine of the Eucharist, they can also receive Communion.”
“I can imagine an opening up regarding celibacy.”
Austrian “Lay Initiative” Calls for Grading the Bishops
The “Lay Initiative” calls on Austrian Catholics to evaluate their bishops. On their website they have made available a simple form for downloading.
Read moreWeak Ties to Church: Austria, Norway
More than a quarter of the Catholics in Austria say they are considering leaving the Church. In Norway, the average member of the state Lutheran Church attended church once in 2010.
Read moreUpdate on petitions in German-speaking countries
As of March 2nd, 238 theology professors in German-speaking countries, 288 clergymen of the diocese of Freiburg, and 287 religion teachers in Germany have signed on to the statement calling for massive reforms in the Roman Catholic Church.
Read moreGerman-language translation: Delay and controversy
The former abbot of Einsiedeln, Georg Holzherr, stated that the Vatican is betraying the spirit of the Second Vatican Council with the commission Ecclesia celebrans. German-language translation work was far advanced at the end of the 1990s, only to land in the archives.
Read moreAustrian Church update: members leaving, initiative forming UPDATED 1-12
Today the numbers for 2010 came out: a record high.
Read moreMany leave the Catholic Church in Germany, Austria
In Germany and Austria, the government-collected “church tax” gives us data on the numbers leaving the churches.
Read moreTranslation Update: German and Dutch Languages
In many cases the German bishops elected to retain the current text of the Missal. Dutch speakers have only recently begun to work on a new translation.
Read moreAustria: The Church and the Arts
Diocesan Bishop Egon Kapellari of Graz emphasized the manifold connections between culture, art, and the Church in Europe.
Read more