“We have a need for sincere and stronger cooperation in our Church”: that is the plea made by the Austrian bishops, who published a pastoral letter for Austrian Catholics on 7 October. The letter refers to the recent scandal in the St. Pölten seminary. “During the ‘Pilgrimage of Peoples’ to Mariazell in May this year, our Church gave a much-appreciated sign of its vitality. Later, a shadow was thrown over this sign. Trust in the Church was undermined, and unjust generalizations, especially about priests and seminarians, were made”, write the bishops, referring to recent events that have rocked the Church in Austria. “We bishops ask for a new partnership in the sign of the message of the Katholikentag of Mariazell. Faith must be reinforced, hope consolidated, love reborn. We invoke on all Christians entrusted to our care and on ourselves the blessing of the Trinity and the intercession of Mary, our beloved Lady of Mariazell”.
