Priest Sorry over Name and Shame of Church Leavers

Austrian Times
January 29, 2012

http://austriantimes.at/news/General_News/2012-01-29/39089/Priest_sorry_over_name_and_shame_of_church_leavers

A Belgian priest working in Austria has apologised over the fact that he published the names of people in his congregation who left his flock so they could avoid paying the local church taxes.

Eight names from the congregation of 2000 in Sitzendorf an der Schmida in Austria were published in the local church newsletter sparking heated debate in the country.

Father Nicolaas Janssens, 51, Originally from Belgium who then trained in Aachen in Germany before starting work as a parish priest in Austria has now said that he is sorry for the row that he caused.

He said: "I did not anticipate the massive negative reaction that this would create. I regret it and I didn't carry out the action in order to embarrass those named – I wanted to let the congregation know that we needed to work together to keep the congregation strong and to highlight the fact that numbers were shrinking. I didn't really think about the impact of using the names and I underestimated the response."

He revealed that one of the eight people named had already started a legal case and that he had been told by church officials that what he had done breached the country's strict data protection rules.

He said: "I guess I underestimated the sensitivity to the subject but despite the row I want to stay here. Austria is my home and I love it. I made a mistake but forgiveness is one of the key points of our faith."

Local mayor Leopold Hummel has in the meantime moved to defend the priest, saying: "There will be no disadvantage to those who have been revealed. We are not so conservative here."

Jessen’s superior, Dean Christian Blauensteiner, has also shown his support. "The priest has apologised many times. The strong reaction has had a real effect on him," the dean explained. The revealing of the names was described simply as "not wise".

Gregor Konig from the data protection agency thinks that the issue is more serious than that however and said that the planned civil case could have serious consequences.

The Archdiocese of Vienna has also reacted, saying, "The revealing of the names of people who have left the church is illegal." It is forbidden in state and church regulations.