Austrian Times
March 2, 2009
http://austriantimes.at/index.php?id=11527
 |
| The Vatican have accepted Wagner's withdrawal |
The Vatican announced today (Mon) that they will not be sending an apostolic delegation to Linz to investigate the controversy surrounding former axillary bishop-designate Gerhard Wagner.
Linz Bishop Ludwig Schwarz’s surprise visit to the Vatican last Friday had prompted speculation he had been summoned as part of preparations for an apostolic visitation or formal Vatican investigation of the situation in the diocese.
But today diocese communications office head Ferdinand Kaineder denied Schwarz had been summoned to Rome, saying such reports had been "pure speculation." Rather, Kaineder said, Schwarz had gone to the Vatican to discuss ways of calming things down in the diocese with Church officials.
The situation in the Linz diocese heated up after Pope Benedict XVI nominated Windischgarsten pastor Gerhard Maria Wagner as auxiliary bishop of the diocese.
Wagner’s controversial public comments led to an exodus of Catholics from the Church in the diocese after the Pope’s nomination.
The ultra-conservative priest had hit the headlines with statements labelling the Harry Potter book series "a work of Satanism," homosexuality as "curable" and natural disasters like the 2004 tsunami in Southeastern Asia and 2005 Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans as God’s punishment of human sin.
But Wagner is also infamous for hitting out on many other subjects, as Austrian magazine "profil" recently revealed.
Speaking about Baptism and the decrease of the Catholic Church’s influence in Austria, Wagner told believers at the Catholic church in Windischgarsten: "If the Church isn’t that important anymore, why is a child brought into the Church to be baptised? Why don’t people take their children somewhere else?"
In another sermon, Wagner warned: "I would like to make you aware today that many more people than you might think have made a pact with the devil, with Satan."
Speaking about the increasing number of people leaving the Church, Wagner said: "I ask myself: What’s the matter with those who talk badly about the Church, those who have left it? Those who moan when speaking about Catholic Austria?
"They make use of Catholic holidays, and that’s something I am protesting against. If someone doesn’t want to have anything to do with the Church, he should go to work on such holidays."
Private Upper Austrian radio station "Life Radio" recently reported the Windischgarsten council would formally make Wagner an honorary citizen of the town.
People’s Party (OVP) Mayor Norbert Vogerl has confirmed the report, saying he approves of the initiative.
A few weeks ago, Wagner asked Pope Benedict XVI to withdraw his nomination of him as auxiliary bishop after coming under heavy pressure because of his controversial statements.
The Vatican has yet to make a formal announcement of the Pope’s decision, but informed sources have said the Pope has accepted Wagner’s request and news of his decision is expected to appear in the Vatican press office’s daily bulletin any day now.
The Vatican also announced today that they would accept Wagner's decision to withdraw his application for auxiliary bishop of Linz.
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.