Religious managers in Austria: wait for new government!

Religious managers in Austria: wait for new government!

Wien, Österreich - In Austria there is a waiting mood among the leading church representatives in relation to the upcoming government formation. After the National Council elections, Peter Schipka, General Secretary of the Bishops' Conference, Michael Chalupka, Evangelical Bishop, and Ümit Vural, President of the Islamic Faith Community in Austria, commented on the Ö1 format "Religion Current". Schipka found that the new political majority was not surprising, while Chalupka emphasized that political and social responsibility will also be transferred to the churches and religious communities, not only to the parties themselves. These pressing questions are unsure about the future government, especially after Vural indicated that the experience from the past gives reason for concern.

The situation is also reflected in the discussion about the role of churches as social actors. In Zurich, for example, it is criticized that the Roman Catholic corporation is increasingly dependent on state funds and that its very own religious tasks are pushing into the background. The focus on social services leads to a more state -oriented approach, which endangers the credibility of the churches. Martin Grichting warns in the NZZ that the church runs the risk of being perceived as just social service instead of as important spiritual institutions. This could harm both the churches and the state in the long term if the religious dimension is minimized and the roots of the faith communities are lost.