Dissident Pfarrer's Initiative in Augsburg Draws Almost No Young Priests

The new Augsburg priest initiative have enrolled hardly any young priests.  Hubert Gindert, President of the Forum of German Catholics, described this as a revealing fact.

Kaufering (kath.net)  "It's a revealing fact that there are hardly any young priests enrolled in the Initiative."  Prof. Hubert Gindert, President of the Forum of German Catholics  in the statement about the newly formed Priest Initiative in the Diocese of Augsburg.  The 43 priests who had signed among other things stated, that the "many re-married and divorced"  receive Communion, Gindert advised: "It is widely known that these pastors, that not only repudiate against the canon law, but also against the unambiguous teachings of Jesus."

The statement of the Forum of German Catholics about the Priest Initiative of Augsburg

An initiative of 43 priests in the Diocese of Augsburg have advertised themselves with the motto "Mit brennender Sorge".  This motto is stolen from the famous encyclical on National Socialism.

The Priest Initiative wants a discussion with the Diocesan Bishop to "bring reforms into action".  They do this primarily by going first to the public, in order to lend pressure to their demands.  Is this an appropriate style and preparation for a discussion?"

The Priest Initiative wants "alienation of the Church of impeding the faith" and is for that reason against "fatal large scale planning", that means they are against the education of parish communities.   This has its justification in the falling number of priests.  Have the 43 priests in their communities ever once pointed out that the priests the community needs must come from the families?  Have they talked to young people and encouraged these in a priestly vocation?  Or should the priest shortage be dealt with  by imposing priestless sevices on Sundays?

The Priest Initiative wants to allow re-married and divorced to Communion.  "In our Diocese there are many pastors who give Communion to re-married and divorced."

These pastors know that this is not only against church law, but also against the clear teachings of Jesus (Mt 5,31/2;19,3/9; L16,18;Mk 1o,,4/9).  Marriage is not as "the Augsburg Allgemeine" of  10/20/12 thinks, "according to Catholic law" indissoluble, rather according to the word of Jesus.

The Priest Initiative offers a solution to the problem through "synodal structures". "The Evangelical Church can be an example there throughout."

But only he who is resistant to experience can overlook how the Evangelical Church has not prevented the alienation of their faithful with synodal structures.  In the last decade significantly more faithful have turned their backs than in the Catholic Church.

The revealing fact is that there are hardly any young priests enrolled in the initiative.

Link to kath.net....