Cardinal (Schonborn) Petitions for Female Ordination

Rorate-caeli ^ | June 18, 2009

[NYer]

Cardinal Christoph Schönborn

During his visit to the Vatican with a delegation of Austrian Bishops in the past two days, the Cardinal Archbishop of Vienna delivered a message from his flock, as Italian news agency ASCA reports:

In the Vatican, Card. Schönborn also presented the so-called "Initiative of the lay faithful" (Laieninitiative), a petition by relevant Austrian Catholics launched earlier this year, which asks for the abolition of compulsory celibacy, the return to activity of married priests, the opening of the diaconate to women, and the ordination of [married] 'viri probati'.

Below is the original ASCA article, in Italian. The relevant paragraph is highlighted.

---

VATICANO: CARDINALE VIENNA HA PRESENTATO PETIZIONE CONTRO CELIBATO PRETI

(ASCA) - Citta' del Vaticano, 17 giu - Alla vigilia dell'apertura dell'anno sacerdotale voluto da papa Benedetto XVI, in Vaticano torna a porsi con forza la questione del celibato obbligatorio dei sacerdoti. A sollevare il tema e' stato uno dei cardinali piu' influenti della Chiesa, nonche' stretto collaboratore di papa Ratzinger, il card. Christoph Schonborn. Nella due giorni di incontri Oltretevere che il pontefice e i massimi esponenti della Curia romana hanno avuto il 15 e il 16 giugno con l'arcivescovo di Vienna e altri rappresentati dalla Chiesa austriaca non si e' infatti discusso soltanto del caso di Gerhard Maria Wagner, il prete ultra-conservatore nominato in febbraio vescovo ausiliare di Linz e successivamente costretto a dimettersi per la rivolta dei preti e dei laici della diocesi.

In Vaticano, il card. Schonborn ha anche presentato la cosiddetta ''Iniziativa dei laici'' (Laieninitiativ), un appello di importanti cattolici austriaci lanciato all'inizio di quest'anno, che chiede l'abolizione dell'obbligo del celibato, il ritorno in attivita' dei preti sposati, l'apertura del diaconato anche alle donne e l'ordinazione dei cosiddetti 'viri probati'. Schonborn, che aveva incontrato i promotori dell'iniziativa pochi giorni prima di arrivare a Roma, in un'intervista alla Radio Vaticana spiega che, pur ''non condividendone alcune delle conclusioni, come ho detto piu' volte'', ha presentato il ''Memorandum'' dei laici austriaci - accompagnato da una nota di suo pugno - al prefetto della Congregazione per il clero, card. Claudio Hummes, ''pregandolo di leggerlo con attenzione''. ''Credo - ha spiegato ai microfoni del programma tedesco della Radio Vaticana - che sia importante che qualcuno a Roma sappia cosa pensa una parte dei nostri laici dei problemi della Chiesa''.

Secondo quanto riferisce l'agenzia ufficiale dei vescovi austriaci Kap, durante il suo incontro con i promotori della petizione, Schonborn aveva promesso che avrebbe presentato le loro motivazioni e proposte a Roma, insieme con le relazioni sulle conseguenze che la carenza di preti sta provocando in 46 diverse parrocchie, soprattutto nelle zone rurali. In quell'incontro, l'arcivescovo di Vienna aveva espresso ''comprensione per le preoccupazioni'' dei laici, perche' anche a lui ''sta a cuore la cura pastorale da parte delle parrocchie'', tanto piu' in questo tempo di crisi per le famiglie. ''Senza dubbio - aveva aggiunto - la carenza di preti e' collegata all'aumento del numero di persone che rimangono lontane dalla Chiesa e dalla fede''.

Naturalmente, il cardinale aveva ribadito la ''grande tradizione'' del celibato nella Chiesa. ''Pero' - aveva aggiunto - come ordinario per i cattolici di rito bizantino in Austria, il cui clero e' in gran parte sposato, non ho alcun disagio di fronte ai preti sposati''. I promotori dell'appello, secondo Schonborn, dovrebbero cercare ''non solo cio' che nelle presenti condizioni puo' esser desiderato solo in una prospettiva di lungo periodo, ma anche cio' che e' concretamente possibile'', e li aveva invitati a completare la loro iniziativa con un ''incoraggiamento'' ai giovani perche' scelgano il sacerdozio cosi' com'e' oggi. Un invito prontamente raccolto dai promotori, tra i quali spiccano tre politici di spicco del Partito popolare austriaco (il partito cristiano conservatore, per molti anni al potere, affine alla Cdu/Csu in Germania e alla Dc in Italia): un ex-segretario generale, un ex-presidente del Parlamento e un ex-vicecancelliere austriaco.

Non a caso, pur senza esserne l'argomento ''centrale'', molti dei temi sollevati dalla petizione dei laici austriaci sono stati affrontati nei colloqui avuti in Vaticano dai vescovi austriaci. Secondo quanto riferisce ancora Schonborn, papa Benedetto XVI all'inizio e alla fine della due giorni di incontri ha ribadito con forza l'importanza del celibato dei preti, collegandolo all'anno sacerdotale che si aprira' domani in Vaticano. ''Il Santo Padre - ha spiegato l'arcivescovo di Vienna - ha detto qualcosa che ci ha molto colpito sulla questione del celibato, che naturalmente in Austria, e soprattutto nella regione di Linz, e' un tema molto 'caldo'. Ha detto che la questione, in fondo, e' se crediamo che sia possibile e che abbia senso vivere una vita fondata solo e soltanto su una cosa, Dio''.

Nell'intervista a Radio Vaticana, Schonborn riferisce anche che durante i colloqui e' stato dedicato ampio spazio al ruolo dei laici, e che il caso della diocesi di Linz - scossa, come la Chiesa austriaca, da ''divisioni'' e ''profonde tensioni'' che e' inutile negare perche' sono ''fatti'' - e' un esempio positivo per il gran numero di laici attivi, che si riflette ad esempio in una partecipazione alla messa domenicale superiore alle media del Paese. ''C'e' stato accordo tra i responsabili della Chiesa romani ed austriaci che e' un bene che ci siano cosi' tanti laici impegnati nella regione... Abbiamo un bisogno impellente di laici che siano parte attiva della societa'''.

Dopo il caso Wagner, nella diocesi di Linz sono emersi alcuni casi di preti che vivevano da anni con una donna, contribuendo cosi' a riportare all'attenzione dell'opinione pubblica austriaca la questione del celibato sacerdotale.

asp/sam/bra

[NYer]

No harm in asking. The answer remains the same: NO!

[nanetteclaret]

Dear Cardinal Christoph Schönborn:

The Episcopal Church welcomes you!

Have a great time on the slippery slope...

nanetteclaret (formerECUSA)

[SeekAndFind]

I’d rather he petition to allow priests to marry. There is historical precedent in the past for married priests.

OTOH, I have not actually seen any historical precedents in the Christian church where women were ordained priest.

Just my humble opinion.

[xsmommy]

My thoughts exactly! LOL! I thought how funny it would be if, in response, he just scribbled down the address to their local Austrian Episcopal Church and say, I think they have all you desire right there.

[Ransomed]

To my understanding, there is historical precedent for allowing married men to become priests, not for allowing priests to marry.

Freegards

[vladimir998]

Hold on. Let’s not jump to conclusions:

Obligatory celibacy for Latin-rite priests is one of the church disciplines that have been questioned publicly and repeatedly in Austria. Cardinal Schonborn said he gave Cardinal Claudio Hummes, prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, a copy of a letter from a group of influential lay Catholics suggesting that the celibacy requirement be dropped because of a shortage of priests.

Cardinal Schonborn told Vatican Radio, “Despite the fact that I do not agree with some of the initiative’s conclusions, frankly I believe that it is important that people in Rome know what some of our laypeople are thinking.”

The cardinal said Pope Benedict has been “very impressive” in explaining how the continued requirement of celibacy for priests in the Latin-rite “ultimately is a question of whether we believe that it is possible for a man to give his life entirely to God” in serving the church and his brothers and sisters.

The cardinal said the pope has emphasized that the discipline of celibacy is not motivated by “mistrust of or a disregard for marriage,” but is a positive response to Christ’s call for total dedication for the sake of his kingdom.

http://www.uscatholic.org/news/2009/06/pope-meets-leaders-austrian-church-discuss-current-problems

[Verginius Rufus]

The word diakonos is used of both men and women in the New Testament--see Romans 16.1 (Phoebe). Whether deaconesses of the early church had a role similar to that of modern deacons, I don't know.

There's certainly no precedent in the Catholic Church for a woman being ordained priest or bishop, but the cardinal may not have intended to challenge that tradition.

St. Peter was married.

[Antoninus]

Grrrr. I can’t wait until all these modernist bishops finally pass from the scene. They do infinitely more harm than good.

[marshmallow]

''Iniziativa dei laici'' (Laieninitiativ), un appello di importanti cattolici austriaci

I didn't know that there were any "important" Austrian Catholics. From what I've seen, the Church there is virtually moribund.

The situation has reached "disaster" proportions in the Diocese of Linz (also mentioned in the article) where the Pope's nomination for auxiliary bishop recently withdrew amidst a storm of protest.

Schonborn has no business even bringing this "initiative" to Rome with him. It should have gone straight in the trash. He's a lame duck. A "pastor" tagging along meekly behind a lost and headstrong flock.

To think this guy wrote the Catechism or played a large part in it.

[nickcarraway]

It’s amazing Cardinal Schönborn was supposed to be Pope Benedict’s right hand man, and a disciple of his. In the last year, he’s gone off the deep end.

[BlackElk]

Unless Mrs. St. Peter was an early buttoned down executive globe hopping for high level business purposes, don't you find it strange that she was not home when Jesus came to visit and that her elderly mother had to get off her sickbed to act as the lady of the house??? Is there any other reference to Peter being married? Is it not likely that his wife was dead before his priesthood began? Or that she had divorced him and moved away?

This also smacks of an initiative of the oooooh soooooo sophisticated elite. By reputation, Schoenborn is quite conservative and he is very unlikely to support this nonsense personally.

[NYer]

It’s amazing Cardinal Schönborn was supposed to be Pope Benedict’s right hand man, and a disciple of his. In the last year, he’s gone off the deep end.

Like you, I too was stunned. I stumbled upon the following while googling his name. This was the processional at a mass in Austria. It was taken only 3 months ago!

Vienna "Cardinal" Christoph Schonborn and his hip, irreverent "Youth Masses (right, Schonborn hold orange balloon during "procession You really have to see this stuff to believe it - that anyone can call this God honoring is beyond the realm!

Check out the Ecumenical Vespers, in the Diocese of Linz.

[tflabo]

Still waiting for Lesbian ordinations with right to marry the same and ceremonial orgy liturgies including the precious children holy communions laying on of hands and other parts via the bodies of the congregation assembly.
This centuries old repression of the disadvanteged must end.

[livius]

I was reading an analysis of Schonborn on an important Spanish blog yesterday, and the general feeling is that he is the most dangerous threat to the Pope because he masks his radicalism in moderate, conciliatory language (sort of like Obama). He is good at distancing himself from his more controversial positions.

In reality, he is opposed to virtually everything in the Pope’s vision even though his own diocese is a disaster, not only full of scandal and irregularities, but with a practicing Catholic population that grows smaller every day. Unfortunately, he is the youngest of the Cardinals, so even if Benedict lives for many years, Schonborn (who lobbied to try to get Martini elected pope last time around) will be young enough and political enough to be very influential in choosing his successor. And I’m sure Schonborn wants to be that successor.

[NYer]

To think this guy wrote the Catechism or played a large part in it.

It's such a surprise, isn't it!

[trad_anglican]

Whether deaconesses of the early church had a role similar to that of modern deacons, I don't know.

Deaconess was never a clerical office. Deacon was from the very beginning.

The primary duty of the Deacon was to serve the congregation's needs and to assist at the Eucharist - especially with the preparation of the gifts and, later, the reading of the gospel.

The lay office of Deaconess was intended to serve the congregation's needs - primarily to tend to the needs of women (particularly during the initiation rites) in cases where the presence of a man would be a cause for immodesty. A Deaconess had no special liturgy (other than the ordinary liturgy of the laity) at the Eucharist.

[Tax-chick]

Cdl. Schonborn is older than dirt. He’s probably getting real drifty by now, bless his heart. Yes, he should have junked the petition as a Gesture, but since he knows the recipient will trash it, same result.

[ichabod1]

Dear Cardinal: No.

[ichabod1]

“Hip, irreverent Youth mass”

Im all for irreverence, in the sense of Man not taking himself too seriously, but do they not get that if you’re not reverent in church you have no business being there?