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Loading ...Pope rescinds promotion of ‘Katrina’ pastor
03.02.2009 1:45pm EST
(Vatican City) — Pope Benedict XVI on Monday formally rescinded the promotion of an ultraconservative priest who came under fire for suggesting that God punished New Orleans with Hurricane Katrina.
The Vatican announcement confirmed a previous decision by the priest, Rev. Gerhard Maria Wagner, to give up the promotion.In January, Benedict promoted the 54-year-old Wagner to the post of auxiliary bishop in Linz, Austria’s third largest city.
The move sparked an outcry from Austrian Catholics and church groups who argued that the decision could motivate people to leave the Catholic church.
Wagner had questioned whether the “noticeable” increase of natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina – which devastated New Orleans in 2005 – was a result of pollution caused by humans or the result of “spiritual pollution” such as the acceptance of homosexuality.
Wagner also has characterized Harry Potter novels as satanic.
Following the controversy, Wagner said last month that he was giving up the job as auxiliary bishop.
He said he considered his decision to be in the interest of the church and that he looked forward to continuing his job as pastor in the Upper Austrian town of Windischgarsten.
The Vatican’s brief announcement Monday said the pope had “exonerated … Wagner from accepting the office of Linz auxiliary bishop.”
The Vatican’s spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, told reporters that Wagner had put forth his request to give up the job to the Vatican, and that the pope had accepted it.
Linz Diocesan Bishop Ludwig Schwarz said the Vatican’s confirmation “officially brings to a close a turbulent period for the Linz diocese and the Austrian church.”
Wagner’s promotion was one of two recent controversial decisions by the Vatican that led to unusually open criticism of Vatican policy, even from top Roman Catholic churchmen.
The other involved lifting the excommunication of a bishop who had said that no Jews were gassed during the Holocaust.
Later, the Vatican distanced itself from British Bishop Richard Williamson’s remark and demanded that he recant it.
Lifting the excommunication of Williamson and three fellow members of the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X had been part of the pope’s effort to reach out to ultraconservatives.
Williamson needs to go, too!
…but the Church also suspended Priest for supporting Condoms…
A priest in Paraiba, Brazil – Fr. Luiz Couto – has been suspended by a Catholic Archbishop for saying the following two statements:
“I defend the use of the condom as a matter of public health.”
and…
“We must struggle day by day against prejudice and intolerance.” (It was in regard to a proposed law in Brazil that would address discrimination and homophobia toward LGBT people.)
This is almost surreal. In the same month, a bishop who once denied the Holocaust gets reinstated into the Catholic Church, while a priest advocating responsible public health policies and basic anti-discrimination beliefs (that whole “love your neighbor” thing) gets suspended.
To add even more salt, the Archbishop of Paraiba, Aldo Pagotto, said that Fr. Cuoto’s comments on homosexuality – you know, the whole “let’s stop treating gay people with prejudice” thing – were “intolerable.”
What’s really intolerable is a Church that rewards Holocaust deniers and bishops who blame hurricanes on gays and lesbians, while isolating and condemning religious leaders who speak out against discrimination and who advocate for common sense public health practices.
It’s crazy, it’s crazy, it’s just crazy!
So, does this mean that the pope was wrong? And does this reversal based on his tribe’s opinion mean that really, he’s just a political figure like all others?
Result of “spiritual pollution”? How dark ages can you get?
Tom in Long Beach