Pope making a sect out of the Catholic Church according to Salzburg Archbishop

The Salzburg Archbishop Alois Kothgasser warns the Catholic Church against an illness which takes her towards being a sect and makes an unusually strong criticism of the Vatican.

In a written statement to the media on Tuesday Kothgasser urges 'confidence in the local church ". Otherwise, confidence in the "central authority" of the church would also dwindle. Also Kothgasser clearly stated that the SSPX whose excommunication Pope Benedict XVI has lifted does, "not stand on the same ground as the Roman Catholic Church.

Reduction to a sect?
Kothgasser asks the church a "fundamental question": "Should the Catholic Church reduce herself to a cult, which only a few, but law-abiding members practice, or should the Catholic Church of Jesus Christ leave room for diversity, be open and influence society from the inside? "He argues for the latter" It is necessary for the church and necessary for society that the church is turned towards the people and preserves their values. If confidence in the local church is missing, also bs the confidence in the central authority of the Universal Church begins to wane. "

On the repeal by Pope Benedict of the excommunication of SSPX Kothgasser stresses that he understood the concern of the Pope to restore the unity of the church. A reunion with the SSPX could not be expected if the conditions were not clearly formulated. "Those who reject Vatican II, do not stand on the same ground as the Roman Catholic Church," said Kothgasser, and: "Actually, they have excluded themselves(excommunicated)from the Catholic Church."

Criticism of the SSPX
Should the SSPX “stubbornly continue” in their rejection of the Second Vatican Council, this would be from the perspective Kothgassers not a schism, but "heresy". And if the SSPX continue to ordain priest, then it would be "clear that the desire for unity only on the one hand there is real". The Holocaust denial by the SSPX Bishop Richard Williamson Kothgasser condemned sharply: It is not permissible for anyone, neither the intellectual nor moral reasons, to deny the Holocaust. And it can also be tolerated by no-one. "

The appointment of the new Bishop of Linz Gerhard Wagner Maria Kothgasser will still not comment about because he has not previously met him. He is now asking to impart again the Second Vatican Council (which had the opening of the church as its object, NB): "We should remain purely and simply remain close to God and to the people." (Cathcon: and what happens when the people take their leave of God?)

And Kothgasser says about the situation of the Church: "I have in recent weeks prayed intensely the psalms of complaint for individuals and the people of God."

Source- Salzburger Nachrichten- link broken 2023

Cathcon: what a remarkable few weeks, when all have been shown in their true colours and even the Archbishop of Salzburg diminishes the office of the Vicar of Christ, an office on which he depends for his office.

Nothing has emptied Catholic Churches more than the (over) enthusiastic implementation of the Second Vatican Council. The laity departed over the decades and now he tries to bolt the doors, not to prevent them coming back but the SSPX.