Future of the Church: Bishop Elbs calls for community and change!

Future of the Church: Bishop Elbs calls for community and change!

Feldkirch, February 22, 2025 - In the midst of an increasingly polarized society, Bishop Benno Elbs points to the indispensable role of the church in combating these tendencies. At a meeting with around 60 young people in Hohenems as part of the “Hot Spot Talks”, he emphasized that thinking in extremes would inevitably put a strain on the weaker members of society. “If we only think in extremes in the future, minorities will suffer – we as a church have to counteract that,” said Elbs. The conversations offer young people the opportunity to share their views directly with their bishop and to take an active part in shaping their church kathpress.at reported.

The future of the church in Austria

Elbs expressed optimism about the role of women in the church, although progress in this area has been “slow.” “We need women in the Church,” he emphasized, referring to the important appointment of the first female prefect in the Vatican. However, the discussion about women's priesthood must be conducted patiently and respectfully because the Catholic Church is international and changes take time. Furthermore, Bishop Elbs is convinced that the future of the church lies in Austria and that it “can only be lived”. He confirmed this in an interview in which he contradicted the assessment that the future of the Catholic Church lies in Africa or Asia vaticannews.va explained.

His approach to solving the challenges within the church includes the active involvement of lay people and the freedom of choice gained by women in synods. Elbs sees this as “absolutely right” to allow the people of God to take part in important discussions. “The whole people of God must be involved in the decision-making process,” he added. While he recognizes the current challenges such as a shortage of priests and theological specialists, he also sees opportunities for volunteer work and the commitment of believers. Overall, Elbs states that the church must be more prophetic in the future and should focus more on the social challenges of today's world.