Austrian Bishop's Plan to Attend Memorial for Late Cardinal Accused of Abusing Boys Criticized

Montreal Gazette
March 29, 2013

http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Austrian+bishops+plan+attend+memorial+late+cardinal+accused/8169957/story.html

An Austrian group representing victims of clerical sex abuse is criticizing a bishop's plan to attend a memorial Mass for a late cardinal accused of molesting young boys.

Agidius Zsifkovics, the Bishop of Eisenstadt, says he will attend the April 8 Mass marking the 10th anniversary of the death of Cardinal Hans Hermann Groer.

Groer stepped down as archbishop of Vienna in 1995 after former theological students accused him of sexual abuse.

A statement Friday on the website of "Those Affected by Churchly Abuse" says Zsivkovics will be honouring a man who left "a trail of spiritual destruction."

Zsifkovics' diocese responded that praying for the dead is something "very normal ... without consideration of that person's reputation."