Posted on 07/12/2004 10:26:32 AM PDT by Land of the Irish
Roman Catholic leaders in Austria called an emergency meeting today after officials discovered a vast cache of photos and videos allegedly depicting young priests having sex at a seminary.
About 40,000 photographs and an undisclosed number of films, including child pornography, were downloaded on computers at the seminary in St Poelten, about 50 miles west of Vienna, the respected news magazine Profil reported.
Officials with the local diocese declined to comment but were meeting privately on the scandal, Austrian state television reported.
It said the seminary’s director, the Rev Ulrich Kuechl, and his deputy, Wolfgang Rothe, had resigned.
The Austrian Bishops Conference issued a statement today pledging a full and swift investigation.
“Anything that has to do with homosexuality or pornography has no place at a seminary for priests,” it said.
Church officials discovered the material on a computer at the seminary, Profil said. It published several images purportedly showing young priests and their instructors kissing and fondling each other and engaging in orgies and sex games.
The child porn came mostly from web sites based in Poland, the magazine said.
Bishop Kurt Krenn, a conservative churchman who oversees the St Poelten Diocese, told Austrian television he had seen photos of seminary leaders in sexual situations with students. Krenn, however, dismissed the photos as “silly pranks” that “had nothing to do with homosexuality”.
A group of St. Poelten Diocese officials planned to ask the Vatican to remove Krenn as bishop, Austrian radio reported.
Vatican spokesman Ciro Benedettini told the Austria Press Agency that the Holy See had no comment.
Krenn, 68, issued a statement calling the accusations groundless while conceding that he “may have made some wrong personnel decisions” at the seminary.
In fact, I hear the sibilance of a schizzie now--old UR, the most attached "non-member" has arrived to slander JPII, his Mother the Church, and anyone else handy.
This is relevant how Deacon? Just like your scurillous attacks on prior threads, I call you on this. It is an attempt to question my faith and others. It is manifestly wrong. You, who would give the Precious Body to anyone, no matter what Rome says, has the temerity to try and judge the state of another borthers soul based on WHERE he attends Holy Mass. How dare you? Rome has said, clearly, I may satisfy my Obligation at SSPX services. Who are you to question that?
You're a hoot. You want to claim the modern Church is all about Vatican II--but when the crap hits the fan, it's suddenly not the Council's fault.
Trad hotties?
It's a dishonest question. Further, you are (as sinky is) trying to use ad hominem attacks rather than discuss the issues. It is shameful.
Sure. Uh-huh.
The Pink Palace, Notre Flame` and the German Orgy instant are clearly post-V2. No explanation for that yet.
"Did GWB have a comment the very minute that AbuGhraib broke?"
As a matter of fact, he did. He denounced it immediately. The Vatican is not only slow to react, its instinct is to sympathize with the perpetrators, especially if they're bishops.
Only if you have no other option, narses.
If I had no other option, even I would attend an SSPX Mass.
But I, like you, have lots of options.
"So, it's the 'holy' media versus the 'sinful' Pope now?"
No, it's the "juicy-scandal-hits-the-Catholic-Church" Media versus the "I'm-too-busy-writing-poetry-to-bother-with-sex-abuse-problems-in-the-Church" Pope.
Your posts get dumber and dumber. Do you think most of us can't remember how the Boston Globe embarrassed the Church and forced its hand? What was the Pope's reaction? He invited the cardinals to Rome for damage control, made a glib speech in which he forgot to mention the victims of clerical sex abuse, invited the cardinals to lunch--and refused to accept Cardinal Law's resignation. This is a pope who doesn't "get it"--if he ever did.
"one can easily become schismatic by becoming "attached" to SSPX."
One can easily lose the faith entirely if one doesn't.
No Deacon that is NOT what Rome said, and I have no other option, in my opinion. You, on the other hand, do have the option of attacking others faith or NOT attacking. You choose as personal attack as I can imagine, demeaning the faith of another poster. Any more personal attacks and I will complain. From you, a self proclaimed clergyman, it is truly repulsive conduct.
No, I leave the slanders and the bigotry to you. I like to deal only with truth.
"Only if you have no other option, narses."
Not true. Reread the letter. It is a matter of personal devotion and piety only.
Cafeteria Catholic. Picking and choosing.
And stop whining, narses. It is unbecoming.
I'm not attacking your faith; I'm disagreeing that you have no options. You do, you just choose not to exercise them.
Picking and choosing. As I said, I would attend an SSPX Mass, no matter how much I dreaded it, if I had no other option.
The camera angle gives the illusion Padre Pio celebrated that Mass facing the people. In fact he did not. The camera was allowed at the side of the altar.
Padre Pio celebrated only one transitional Mass in the mid 60s. He broke down and wept. He was given a dispensation to continue saying the Old Mass. He died a few years later.
Still trying to get away with the deceptive insinuation that posters can somehow become schismatic by simply arguing in favor of the Society, when not even Society worshipers themselves are schismatic?
Maybe the hopelessly ignorant or those who sniffed oily rags as children would believe your silly vomit, but people with brains don't.
Then again you were the one that came in here and seriously (or drunkenly) advocated torture for society members, so there's no telling what you'll say on any given night.
You have no clue Deacon, but your ad hominem attacks are a matter of choice. You must stop. I warned you before, next time you ATTACK me or my faith, I will hit the abuse button again. Debate if you will, stop the attacks. They are wrong for any poster here, for a self-declared clergyman they are revolting.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.