(Un) believable in Linz

Linz is already well-known as the Diocese that sought unity without the Mass. Here are pictures from an event called "glaubenswert" (Believable- literally worthy of belief) in parishes of the Linz South deanery. It is not a Mass either but a stealth priestess gets a walk on part- The priest was robed and doubtless many of those sitting at the tables thought it had the same worth as a Mass. Dinner was served on these tables immediately following the service!






What new religion is this?

Comments

becket said…
Why doesn't the Vatican do anything about this protestantism.
William said…
Enough to make me sick to my stomach.
Joseph Fromm said…
A least there weren't any Jesuits this time.
Anonymous said…
It's not at all clear this is anything more than a dinner with a prayer service of some kind appended. It happens in places both traditional and progressive, and given the priest is vested in alb and stole with no chasuble, it's most likely some kind of non-sacramental event.

Tempest and teapot material. Let's move along to something else.

Todd
stceolfrithtx said…
Todd, there's no situation where there should ever be women or even lay men wearing a stole. It does not happen in traditional or moderate circles. People

Not sure you really do have such a strong "catholicsensibility". People who have that know that wearing a stole when you're not an ordained man is a spectacle that confuses or misleads the faithful.

Gillibrand, you're assisting in God's work. The Vatican is so oblivious when it comes to online information. I hope that changes.
Anonymous said…
Geoff, thanks for the comment. I assume the man in alb and stole is a priest. I have no reason to doubt it, in spite of this post or the one on Fr Z's site. As for the woman, she's not wearing a stole, just a strip. Do we know who she is, and if she's a Roman Catholic?

Presenting a story like this without context or explanation seems irresponsible. Many, many assumptions have been made online by bloggers and one news outlet who should be more responsible. If those commenting, sometimes without civility, are being misled about a simple dinner with a prayer service of some kind attached, this becomes a pretty serious matter.

As for your comment about my Catholicity or my being sensible, I'm just raising a question. My intent is not to rain on anyone's parade, unless there's deliberate deception going on. In which case, it's only charitable to point out to some readers this may not be as wrong as it's portrayed.

Todd
stceolfrithtx said…
Todd,

I was wrong to go ad hominem on you.

You make a strong point about the lack of context. Gillibrand: it is unacceptable to post pictures without more context. What is the source?

Looking at it, I can't even be sure it's a Catholic gathering. For all I know, it's "Evangelical Lutherans" in the US. But I trust that the part about them being Catholic is true, and that is what is unfortunate.

Todd, what is this "strip" you speak of, and where is it written that it's an accepted liturgical vestment for lay women (or anybody)? You can't dispel their obvious intent make the woman appear to be wearing a stole.

I've never seen a stole that was worn vertically over one shoulder in the west or the east, but this is clearly a stole and it's totally inappropriate.
They were taken in Linz by someone who was there. Catholic for sure.

The strip is worn by women pastoral ministers in Linz and other places to give them pseudo-ecclesiastical rank and a means to press for the diaconate. As far as I know it is a local invention and has no authorisation from Rome.