
Large Numbers of Austrian Faithful Differ With Hierarchy Over Strict Vaccine Mandate
Visible divide comes to the fore after Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna dismisses deacon over his public opposition to compulsory vaccination.
Visible divide comes to the fore after Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna dismisses deacon over his public opposition to compulsory vaccination.
Austrian Church authorities announced that 4,301 people rejoined the Church or joined for the first time in 2021 — more than in 2020, when 4,068 joined or rejoined.
‘Europe Prays,’ launched by Kath.net, invites Christians to pray together, especially the Rosary, in a public place once a week.
According to a draft law prepared by the Austrian government, residents of Austria who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 from Feb. 1, 2022, could face a fine of up to 600 euros ($675) every three months.
In most other European countries, the faithful are not facing similar restrictions.
In their statement on Thursday, Austria’s bishops said that the constitutional court’s decision had “painfully called into question” the “broad social consensus that human life is to be protected until its natural end.”
In their message, the Austrian bishops said: “We know from countless encounters with the dying that the last phase of life, in particular, can be a blessing. In many cases, important encounters and moments of reconciliation are still possible.”
Cardinal Schönborn said that the elderly and ill would face increasing pressure to opt for assisted suicide.
Cardinal Schönborn noted that he had spent the night in his chapel in the Episcopal Palace, next to Vienna’s St. Stephen’s Cathedral, thinking of the victims, police, and security forces.
Treating over 7,000 children since 1995, the Sunshine Outpatient Clinic was established to support children with the developmental disorder which affects communication and behavior.
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