AUSTRIA'S CATHOLIC CHURCH: STRUGGLING THROUGH CONTROVERSY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 VIENNA 001026

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/CE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KIRF VN AU
SUBJECT: AUSTRIA'S CATHOLIC CHURCH: STRUGGLING THROUGH CONTROVERSY
AND DECLINING MEMBERSHIP

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1. (U) Summary: The Austrian Catholic Church has had a number of
high-profile clashes with the Vatican in 2009. Cardinal Schoenborn,
Archbishop of Vienna and head of the Austrian Bishops' Conference,
publicly criticized the Pope's decision in January to rescind the
excommunication of a bishop who denies the Holocaust. The following
month, local Church leaders blocked the Vatican appointment of a
controversial auxiliary Bishop in the Upper Austrian city of Linz.
Shortly thereafter, an Austrian priest admitted to a 25-year
relationship with a widow. Schoenborn and other Austrian Church
leaders traveled to the Vatican at the Pope's invitation in June for
discussions. The conflicts reflect a deep gap between the Church
and the Austrian public. End summary.

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A Difficult Year so Far
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2. (U) This has been a difficult year for Austria's Catholic Church.
The problems began in January 2009 when the Pope rescinded the
excommunication of Holocaust-denier Bishop Richard Williamson. This
drew a sharp rebuke in a number of European countries, particularly
Austria. Cardinal Schoenborn, a longtime ally of the Pope's, took
the rare step of criticizing the Vatican staff publicly for failing
to properly advise the Pope.


3. (U) This flare-up was followed later the same month with the
Vatican appointment of conservative firebrand Gerhard Wagner as
auxiliary Bishop of the Linz diocese. No Church official in Linz,
including Linz Bishop Ludwig Schwarz, would admit to putting forward
Wagner's name for the post. Wagner is well known for his
controversial views; he has said, for example, that Hurricane
Katrina was divine retribution against the city of New Orleans, the
Harry Potter books are satanic, and homosexuality is curable.
Wagner's appointment led to a public outcry that occurred just as
Austrians were receiving their annual request to contribute to the
Church. A group of 33 deans in the Linz Diocese met in February and
announced a vote of no confidence in Wagner, compelling Wagner to
withdraw his nomination.


4. (U) One of those voting against Wagner was Josef Friedl, a
liberal priest who had earlier drawn media attention for championing
the cause of a Kosovar teenager whose asylum petition had been
denied. Friedl in March admitted to a 25-year relationship with a
widow, insisting to the press there was "no need to lie about it."
Friedl then resigned from his post. According to one poll, some 90
percent of Austrians believe priests should be allowed to marry.


5. (U) In response to the Friedl affair and the growing tensions
between Austrian Catholics and the Vatican, the Pope invited
Cardinal Schoenborn and other Austrian church leaders to the Vatican
June 15-16 for consultations. Though media reports suggested that
Schoenborn apologized to the Pope, Christian Alting von Geusau, an
advisor to Schoenborn, denied that and insisted to us that the
meeting was a frank exchange of opinions. After the meeting, the
Church decided to allow Friedl to remain a priest on the condition
that he end the relationship with the widow. Friedl has since
refused to comment on the matter.

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Views of the Papal Nuncio
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6. (SBU) Peter Zurbriggen, Apostolic Nuncio to Austria, averred to
us that the decision by Wagner to withdraw from the Linz appointment
had calmed tensions, but at the cost of establishing a dangerous
precedent. The message to Austrian Catholics, he fears, is that
they can block any Church appointment they don't like by
protesting.


7. (SBU) Zurbriggen said the Friedl case simply highlighted the
deep-rooted controversy over priest celibacy. He cited a recent
estimate that 50 percent of Austrian priests have relationships with
women, while adding that others familiar with Church issues maintain
that the proportion is closer to 25 percent, still a significant
figure. He said that a reluctance to take a vow of celibacy is one
reason for the shortage of priests in Austria and Germany.

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High Standing, But Waning Membership
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8. (U) The Catholic Church in Austria can ill afford such
controversies, given recent trends. Catholic traditions are deeply
rooted in Austrian culture, most clearly in the numerous official
religious holidays and traditions. Even nonreligious officials are
expected to participate in holiday ceremonies and marches. The
Catholic charity Caritas plays a leading role in providing Austrian

VIENNA 00001026 002.2 OF 002


development and relief aid. Moreover, the leader of the Austrian
Catholic Church has a standing as the second-highest ranking
official in the Austrian constitution. Alting von Geusau told us
Schoenborn meets regularly with Chancellor Faymann, which he said is
unheard of in most other European countries.


9. (U) It is clear, however, that the influence of the Catholic
Church is waning in Austria, as it is elsewhere in Europe.
Approximately 40,000 Austrians depart the Catholic Church annually,
and, according to one estimate, the Church has lost one million
members over the past 30 years. Only an estimated 10 percent of
Austrian Catholics now attend weekly mass. The Pope has come to be
seen as more of a liability than a benefit for the Church's profile
in Austria. A poll taken in March of Austrian Catholics in the wake
of the Wagner affair indicated the popularity of Pope Benedict had
fallen sharply. The poll indicated that 32 percent of Austrians had
a positive opinion of the Pope, while 23 percent viewed him
negatively. In 2007, the numbers were 50 and 11. The poll further
indicated that only 17 percent of Austrians regard the Pope's
statements as important, down from 29 percent two years ago.

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Opponents Clash Online
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10. (U) A number of Austrian Catholics have sought to reform the
Church rather than abandon it. The Austrian reform movement "We are
the Church" advocates women in the priesthood, an end to clerical
celibacy, and a "positive" attitude towards sexuality. The
organization played a significant role in generating opposition to
the Wagner appointment. While the exact number of followers is not
certain, the movement clearly has sympathizers, and has caused
concern among the Church leadership. The organization promotes its
agenda online with the website: www.wir-sind-kirche.at.


11. (U) Church traditionalists are working to counter the influence
of "We are the Church." Alting von Geusau, a critic of the
reformers, accuses the Austrian media of a biased, scandal-obsessed
approach to Church coverage. He recommended the conservative
website www.kath.net as a source of "unbiased" coverage and a
counterpoint to "We are the Church."

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Comment: Church and Public Divided
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12. (SBU) With the Austrian populace generally to the left of
Church doctrine, reform has some appeal as a solution to declining
membership. However, Church officials understandably fear that
reform would offend conservatives as much as attract liberals. The
recent controversies each have their distinct causes, but all are
rooted in a stark dissonance between the Church and the public, with
the Austrian hierarchy often caught between Rome and its domestic
flock. The Church will retain its important role for now, but
paying Church membership will continue to decline for the forseeable
future.