Bishop urges Austrians to support 'new beginning' after scandal

Published: 2005-03-07

WARSAW, Poland (CNS) -- The bishop of an Austrian diocese forced to close its seminary after a sex scandal has appealed to Catholics who left the church over the incidents to rejoin and support a "new beginning" in the diocese. In an open letter posted in early March on his diocese's Web site, Bishop Klaus Kung of Sankt Polten, Austria, said he was aware that "sad events" in the diocese had caused many Catholics "to doubt the church's credibility." "It grieves me very much that responsible people in the church caused this annoyance, and I apologize for it," the bishop wrote. "But I can assure you we are working to clear up this disagreeable situation and make possible a new beginning for our diocese. I ask you to look on our efforts with good will."

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