Erase it: The Austrian Bishops have been playing a game for a year with the spiritual health of minors using devilish religion books.
Prinz Gundakar and Prinzessin Marie von und zu Liechtenstein have, because of ecclesiastical bureaucratic decay, been sent from Pontius to Pilate, while Bishops and the Vatican turn diplomatic pirouettes.
The two marrieds are living in Lower Austria and are responsible for five school age children.
Diocesan Approved Deviltry
In October 2008 the married couple turned to the President of the Austrian Bishop's Conference, Christoph Cardinal Schönborn.
They requested that he eliminate material hostile to the Catholic Faith -- with Episcopal approval -- being used in Catholic religious instruction.
It concerned:
- the "Graz Series" for Middle School. They contain the various parts "I am by you", "With you I can grow", "Travelling with you", "Together we'll make the world".
- the hand book "Joy for Faith",
- a series of writings of the Old Liberal Viennese Religious educator, Martin Jäggle, with the instruction text "You like me", "you make my life beautiful", "You lead me", "You trust me".
The applicants looked for the good advice of Gertrud Dörner.
With her help, it was demonstrated that the offensive texts falsify the Faith.
In April 2009 the Old Liberal Austrian Bishop's Conference struck down the appeal.
The Couple von und zu Lieschtenstein 2009 made an application for retraction of the judgment. This was struck down in July of the same year.
The Long Way to Rome
The couple weighed against the decision again, but this time with the Congregation for the Faith.
The appeal was sent back on November 2009 for formal reasons.
Prinz Gundakar reapplied his appeal to the Apostolic Signatura in November 2009.
This was remanded by the parents in February 2010 to the Congregation for Clergy.
Still the prince turned from this in the same month.
Incredible but true: In March 2010 -- almost a year and a half after first writing Cardinal Schönborn -- the appeal was received.
The Apostolic Signatura handed the problem down to the Congregation of Clergy. This office got down to business.
They asked Cardinal Schönborn for documents and information and a deep study of the recommendations of Frau Döner from the Congregation of Faith.
Cynical Bishops
Cynically, the Austrian Bishops Conference had already admitted in April of April 2009 that "in part" Frau Dörners observations on the faith unfriendly religion books were accurate.
And: "The corresponding hand books show, that these problems have their origin in questionable theological positions as well as in dangerous tendencies, to devalue the validity of faith".
These determinations are blank cynicism: For the episcopaly criticized books were considered by the Bishops to have been effectively used for Catholic religious instruction.
Pulling the Head from the Sling
The Congregation for Clergy called the Cardinal to address the situation.
The Cardinal explained November 2010 in a letter that the Austrian Bishops in the mean time had published a new lesson plan.
The incriminated school books were therefore no longer new, rather replaced in the whole by a new school book series.
Therefore it "is not meaningful" to correct errors contained, which the Congregation of the Faith had correctly ascertained, "for the short time frame for which this series of elementary school books are in use."
He will take efforts to explain the various errors concerned and inform the religion instructors in the use of these religion books so that they won't disseminate these identified errors --- joked the Cardinal.
Irresponsible Wolves
On 22. Februar 2011 the Congregation for Clergy explained that the reason for the conflict has been isolated, since the proposed concerns which were specified in the appeal were handled "in an acceptable way".
In other words: The Austrian Bishops have been risking the good of the souls of persons under age.
Now they've availed themselves of a hush-hush action.
The responsibility for this outrageous scandal doesn't convince anyone.
Photo, Monarchy Forum...
