Pope's "Katrina" Bishop Giving Up Promotion

Among Pope Benedict XVI's recent debacles is the decision to elevate Gerhard Maria Wagner to the position of auxiliary bishop of Linz, Austria. As I noted previously, Wagner is a far right nutcase who previously stated in a parish newsletter 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. The reaction by Catholics to Wagner's elevation to Bishop has been anything but positive and trigger threats by numerous Catholics to leave the Catholic Church. Two stories from the Washington Post look at the reaction of Austrian Catholics and now Wagner's decision to ask that the Pope reverse the decision to make Wagner a bishop. First, here are highlights on the reaction in Austria:

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VIENNA -- A group of Austrian priests has vehemently criticized Pope Benedict XVI's decision to promote an ultraconservative pastor who suggested Hurricane Katrina was provoked by sin in New Orleans, the group's head said Wednesday. . . . . Franz Wild, chief church dean of Upper Austria province and pastor in the town of Traun, is among those leading the criticism of Wagner. In a telephone interview with The Associated Press, Wild confirmed that 31 out of 35 Upper Austrian church deans present during an informal meeting late Tuesday had criticized Wagner by voting for a statement saying they could not support his nomination.

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The controversy may already be affecting church membership in Upper Austria. According to broadcaster ORF, 110 Catholics left the church in Linz last week, about four times as many as during the same period a year ago. General criticism of the Vatican is also being heard from high-ranking Austrian clerics such as Salzburg's Archbishop Alois Kothgasser. . . . Kothgasser warned in a recent statement about the future of the church. "Should the Catholic Church be shrunk to the point where it's like a cult, with only a few members that toe the official line?" Kothgasser asked.

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Apparently, the fire storm got too hot for Wagner and/or the Nazi Pope and today the Washington Post is reporting that Wagner has requested that the Pope rescind his promotion. Here are highlights from that story:

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A pastor who created a controversy by suggesting that God punished New Orleans with Hurricane Katrina because of the city's sins said Sunday he will ask the pope to rescind his promotion. Pope Benedict XVI's recent appointment of the conservative Rev. Gerhard Maria Wagner, 54, to auxiliary bishop in Linz, Austria's third largest city, sparked an outcry among Catholics who warned it could prompt people to leave the church. Wagner, among other things, also had characterized Harry Potter novels as "Satanism."

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"Regarding the fierce criticism, I am in prayer and, after consulting the diocesan bishop, I have decided to ask the Holy Father in Rome to take back my promotion as auxiliary bishop," Wagner said in a statement released by Linz Diocesan Bishop Ludwig Schwarz.

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While this action by Wagner may defuse the current crisis, it remains to be seen whether or not the out of touch and Medieval minded Benedict XVI can grasps today's reality and move the Church forward or whether it is merely a matter of time before the next Neanderthal slip up occurs.