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 VIENNA 00001026 001.2 OF 002 ¶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. -------------- A Difficult Year so Far -------------- ¶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 The problems began in January 2009 when the Pope rescinded the excommunication of Holocaust-denier Bishop Richard Williamson.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. -------------- Views of the Papal Nuncio -------------- ¶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. -------------- High Standing, But Waning Membership -------------- ¶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. -------------- Opponents Clash Online -------------- ¶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." -------------- Comment: Church and Public Divided -------------- ¶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.