Priests Blast Vatican for Naming Ultraconservative Austrian Bishop, Earthtimes, February 1, 2009

Priests Blast Vatican for Naming Ultraconservative Austrian Bishop

Earthtimes
February 1, 2009

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/253678,priests-blast-vatican-for -naming-ultraconservative-austrian-bishop.html

Vienna - Catholic priests in Austria on Sunday criticized the Vatican for naming an ultraconservative priest as auxiliary bishop in Linz on Saturday without having consulted the local church. The designated bishop, Gerhard Wagner, has made headlines in the past when he condemned JK Rowling's Harry Potter books for its "satanist" content.

He also suggested in 2005 that Hurricane Katrina was God's punishment, as it destroyed five abortion clinics as well as nightclubs in New Orleans.

"I am not very happy about this, since I get the general impression that there was no attempt to communicate with the diocese," Hans Padinger, spokesman of the priests in Linz, told Austrian broadcaster ORF.

The town of Linz is the seat of one of Austria's seven dioceses, or territorial units of the Catholic church.

Franz Wild was one priest who voiced even sharper criticism. "I am shocked by this decision," he told the regional paper "Oberoesterreichische Rundschau."

"I hope the church realizes that we live in the 21st century and that the church must live in that period, too," he said.

A significant portion of Austrian Catholics see themselves as more liberal than the Vatican, opposing Rome's views on abortion, homosexuality or the ban on married priests.

The dispute came amid the controversy over the rehabilitation Holocaust denier Bishop Richard Williamson by German Pope Benedict XVI.

Even the governor of the Upper Austria province, of which Linz is the capital, expressed his dissatisfaction. "This indicates that Rome has an impression of the diocese that I think is far removed from reality," Governor Josef Puehringer said.

Meanwhile, the controversial priest remained unperturbed amid the dispute. "I am someone who downright seeks controversy," Wagner said Saturday. He is to be ordained on March 22.