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Loading ...Vatican promotes priest who blamed Katrina on gays
02.02.2009 12:07pm EST
(Vatican City) An Austrian pastor who has been quoted as calling Hurricane Katrina God’s punishment for sin in New Orleans is being promoted to the rank of bishop.
The Vatican announced Saturday that Pope Benedict XVI has tapped the Rev. Gerhard Wagner, 54, to be auxiliary bishop in Linz, Austria. It made no mention of the reported remarks about Hurricane Katrina.Wagner has served since 1988 as pastor of a church in the Austrian town of Windischgarsten and received a doctorate in theology from the prestigious Gregorian Pontifical University in Rome, the Vatican said.
In 2005, Wagner was quoted in a parish newsletter as saying that he was convinced that the death and destruction of Hurricane Katrina earlier that year was “divine retribution” for New Orleans’ tolerance of homosexuals and laid-back sexual attitudes.
Kath.Net, a Catholic news agency in Austria, released in 2005 excerpts of what it said were comments Wagner made in a parish newsletter in Linz about Katrina.
It said the newsletter quoted Wagner as saying that Katrina destroyed not only nightclubs and brothels in New Orleans, but also abortion clinics.
“The conditions of immorality in this city are indescribable,” Wagner was quoted as saying.
Wagner’s ingnorance is the only thing that is “indescriable”. The Vatican never misses an opportunity to prove how irrelevant they are to the world around them.
It’s amazing that we the “GLBT community” are thought of as evil, by the churches. When they are the ones who are teaching hate. How Ironic.
It’s obvious that we need to capitalize on our “immorality” by sending an earthquake or volcanic eruption to the Vatican. If the rest of you don’t mind, I’ll like to pick out some artwork for our home first.
What is so amazingly hypocritical, if it was Gods wrath to punished New Orleans for homosexuality, with hurricane Katrina, I would imagine that the Catholic Church is totally petrified at this moment, at the thought of being annihilated with Gods wrath and fury from all those indecent sexual abuse scandals concerning pedophilia, not to mention all the millions of dollars they lost for God, in payment to their countless victims from multiple lawsuits!
While Wagner might believe a Hurricane was Divine retribution from god, I would think that the area of New Orleans sits in a spot where hurricanes are formed and could possibly hit. Thats just nature, not god imo. Its equivalent to saying that because Oklahoma is predominatly another type of Christianity, thats why they became the dustbowl (human error) and tornados frequently spawn there (nature). Maybe the Vatican will one day draw the card of Vesuvius waking up on them. Then we can enjoy waiting to see them explain that natural caustic effect on them away.
Then I guess God’s wrath upon the Vatican for its child molestation history must be perpetual ignorance.
Oh yes, and those tornadoes that are the scourge of the mid-west…they must be God’s punishment for voing in G. W. Bush.
Organized religion by its nature is exclusive and intolerant. Roman Catholicism in general, and this Pope in particular, continue to preach and act contrary to Jusus’ message of love and inclusion. What foolish and harmful hypocrisy!
First the Vatican promotes a bishop who denies the Holocaust, now this about Katrina. With this logic, one could say that Jesus was nailed to the cross for his sinfulness!
Organized religion by its nature is exclusive and intolerant. Roman Catholicism in general, and this Pope in particular, continue to preach and act contrary to Jesus’ message of love and inclusion. What foolish and harmful hypocrisy!
The worst homophobes are closeted homosexuals themselves. Blaming the gays seem to work in the past-but watch out Vatican. All those sexual misconducts are driving most parsihes to bankruptcy. All of you can no longer hide behind those walls and closed quarters. Your days are numbered, repent. Stop sinning against all God’s children.
Well the French Quarter was untouched by Katrina. Just remember that an Austrian Paper Hanger became Fuhrer of Germany in the 1930’s. What was God saying when that happened?
I dont think the vatican should be promoting anyone they just announced here in Northeastern and central pa. that they will be closing half of the churches because of a shortage of priests,money and sagging attendance.hmmm I wonder if God has anything to do with that
As a resident of New Orleans I am here to tell him, you and the world that Bourbon Street, The French Quarter with the “Historic Red Light District”, the Marigny Triangle and most of the Bywater District was high and dry from Hurricane Katrina. It was all the neighborhoods, families and the churches which suround all the gay area that went underwater and was (and still is) destroyed. So by the Bishops definition you better be gay to live in the gay capital of the south because if your a church goer you will be destroyed by god sent hurricanes. Support and Enforce the Constitutions First Amendment Right of Separation of Church and State or America will become another Iran or Vatican. Enforce the I.R.S. code of tax exempt status from meddling churches in our freedoms….lol…jackass preachers… 1 in 5 citizens are Agnostic/Aethiest in America and growing. The Inquisition and Crusades are over. Keep it that way.
Another thing…the Vatican is one of the richest countries in the world. Where the hell were they when all the “protestant” religions (especially the Methodist) were in New Orleans with relief efforts and volunteering from all over the country for years. As a Former Catholic I am NOT surprised