Boy the Pope just can't catch a break. Whispers in the Loggia is reporting that the Vatican has another Kerfuffle on it's hands. The Pope appointed a new Auxillary Bishop of the Diocese of Linz Austria - which has been called Europe's most "Librul" diocese. The new Bish: Fr Gerhard Wagner, irony abounds when you consider the views of the famous musician with the same last name.
The AP reports that,
In 2005, Wagner was quoted in a parish newsletter as saying that he was convinced that the death and destruction of Hurricane Katrina earlier that year was "divine retribution" for New Orleans' tolerance of homosexuals and laid-back sexual attitudes....
It said the newsletter quoted Wagner as saying that Katrina destroyed not only nightclubs and brothels in New Orleans, but also abortion clinics."The conditions of immorality in this city are indescribable," Wagner was quoted as
saying.
Rocco goes on to quote another source Inquirer.net which said,
Wagner, 54... first gained notice in 2001 when he described J. K. Rowling's popular Harry Potter novels -- which take place in a witchcraft and wizardry school -- as "satanism" and warned against the magical spells and formulas used in the novels.After the Hurricane Katrina disaster in 2005, he again commented: "It's no coincidence that in New Orleans all five abortion clinics as well as night clubs were destroyed."And he asked: "Is the noticeable rise in natural disasters a consequence of environmental pollution or rather of spiritual pollution?"
These pontifications, believe it or not, precede remarks that influential Evangelical Pastor John Hagee said on NPR's Fresh Air in September of 2006 about Katrina being the fault of Gays.
Somehow I doubt there will be apologies and back peddling from Herr Papst for these remarks unlike the more publicised, and yes arguably deplorable, remarks of Bishop Williamson. But it still says a lot.
Sphere: Related Content
No comments:
Post a Comment