The Church in Austria

Many articles have been written recently concerning the scandals which have occurred in the Church in Austria. This is not new and has been going on now for a number of years.

Let's look at a story from March of 1998:

In February the Pope appointed Vienna's Archbishop Schoenborn to the College of Cardinals. The Vatican has finally started an investigation into the alleged sexual activities of his predecessor, Cardinal Gröer. Gröer stepped down as Archbishop in 1995, amid allegations that he'd sexually abused five teenage boys. According to Nigel Glass in Vienna, the Gröer affair has divided Austria's Catholics:

Or this one from June of 1998:

The visit, John Paul's third to Austria, was aimed at calming the waters in this Catholic bastion, rocked by accusations that a Cardinal sexually abused young boys, and by divisions among bishops and demands for reform signed by a half-million Austrians.

The Pope issued his verdict in a private meeting of Austrian bishops, following Sunday's Mass. The Vatican released the text.
''A bishop by himself does not realise the project of Christ,'' the Pope said in a clear reference to Bishop Kurt Krenn, a conservative who has angered many by his staunch support for Cardinal Hans Hermann Groer. The Vatican forced Cardinal Groer to relinquish his duties following accusations of paedophilia.

Bishop Krenn takes responsibility for scandal. He states there is no proof of homosexuality at his seminary and says the photograph was of a Christmas kiss at a Christmas celebration.



Catholic World News has some updates today here.