Thursday, September 16, 2004
Must have gotten training with the American bishops
ustria's controversial bishop at the center of a scandal involving his seminary on Thursday denied reports that he would soon resign. A spokesman for Bishop Kurt Krenn of St. Poelten said media reports of Vatican pressure on Krenn to resign on health grounds were wrong.
The Austrian Catholic news agency originally reported Krenn's impending resignation last week and Vatican sources confirmed to Catholic World News on Monday that while Krenn's resignation was not yet office, an announcement was expected soon. At the time, Michael Dinhobel, a spokesman for the bishop, told Austrian reporters that he was not aware of any plans for Krenn's departure, but that "if the Pope tells Bishop Krenn that he should resign, he will."
But now Dinhobel says the resignation reports are wrong. He said on Thursday, "Bishop Krenn has certainly not offered his resignation." Krenn also told an Austrian magazine that he was being mistreated. "I am suffering great injustice," Krenn told the weekly Die ganze Woche . "Our beloved Savior was also not well treated." The greatest level of public outrage concerning the scandal occurred when Bishop Krenn dismissed photos of seminarians and priests in compromising positions as "boyish pranks."
The Austrian Catholic news agency originally reported Krenn's impending resignation last week and Vatican sources confirmed to Catholic World News on Monday that while Krenn's resignation was not yet office, an announcement was expected soon. At the time, Michael Dinhobel, a spokesman for the bishop, told Austrian reporters that he was not aware of any plans for Krenn's departure, but that "if the Pope tells Bishop Krenn that he should resign, he will."
But now Dinhobel says the resignation reports are wrong. He said on Thursday, "Bishop Krenn has certainly not offered his resignation." Krenn also told an Austrian magazine that he was being mistreated. "I am suffering great injustice," Krenn told the weekly Die ganze Woche . "Our beloved Savior was also not well treated." The greatest level of public outrage concerning the scandal occurred when Bishop Krenn dismissed photos of seminarians and priests in compromising positions as "boyish pranks."
