Heinrich Schnuderl

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Heinrich Schnuderl

Heinrich Schnuderl (born September 20, 1943 in Graz ) is an Austrian Roman Catholic theologian and priest . From 2011 to 2015 he was Vicar General of the Diocese of Graz-Seckau , from January 28, 2015 to June 14, 2015 he was its diocesan administrator , then again until August 31, 2015. Since September 1st, 2015 he has been the cathedral pastor of Graz and at the same time episcopal vicar for society, culture, media and science.

Life

Origin and education

Heinrich Schnuderl during a mass
Heinrich Schnuderl as a lecturer
Heinrich Schnuderl during a professional meeting

Heinrich Schnuderl comes from a Catholic family of bakers from Grazer Annenstrasse . His membership in the Catholic Youth shaped his further life. He completed his school years from 1953 to 1961 at the Academic Gymnasium in Graz . Following his graduation in 1961 he studied at the University of Graz theology and became a doctor of theology doctorate .

Professional background

After his ordination by the Styrian diocesan bishop Josef Schoiswohl in Graz on July 9, 1967, he worked as a chaplain in Schladming for three years . On June 1, 1972, he was appointed by Diocesan Bishop Johann Weber as a consultant for pastoral tourism in the Graz-Seckau diocese. From 1970 to 1982 he was university chaplain of the Catholic university community at the Montanuniversität Leoben and then until 1997 university chaplain of the Catholic university community at the University of Graz . In connection with this, he was also the managing curator of the Afro-Asian Institute in Graz . In his first year of employment in the Catholic University Community of Graz, he founded the magazine Thinking and Belief , which is an important forum for intellectual debate in the field of Graz universities and for thousands of their graduates.

As a university chaplain, Schnuderl had an eye on the development of student chaplaincy in Austria and in German-speaking countries through the university chaplain conferences, in addition to the intensive focus on the universities and on the students of “his” communities.

On the occasion of Pope John Paul II's visit to Austria in 1983, the idea was born to replace the organ in St. Anne's Church in Warsaw , which had suffered severe damage in World War II . With the help of numerous private sponsors, the organizing Graz university community managed to raise the necessary funds and successfully conclude the lengthy negotiations with the communist authorities in Warsaw . In 1992 the new organ donated by Austria was inaugurated. Today it is one of the most important instruments for church music in Poland. Heinrich Schnuderl received the Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland (Commander) on January 15, 1996 from Polish President Aleksander Kwaśniewski for his main responsibility for this renewal .

Schnuderl acted from 1980 to 1997 as general assistant of the Catholic Action in Styria and from 1985 to 1997 as clergyman assistant of the Catholic Action of Austria. As canon , he has been a member of the Graz Cathedral Chapter since 1995 . In 1997 he became pastor at the Church of St. Christoph in Graz and in 1999 city ​​parish provost of the Graz city parish church as well as chairman of the " Catholic city church Graz " (until 2011).

In the turbulent times within the church in the 1990s, Schnuderl was a major source of inspiration for the “Dialogue for Austria”, which sought dialogue with society instead of internal church discussion: in view of the conflicts mentioned, the Austrian Bishops' Conference decided in autumn 1995 to set up one for 1996 To invite the “pilgrimage of diversity” to Mariazell . In 1998 the delegates' meeting for the “Dialogue for Austria” on theological and socio-political issues took place in the St. Virgil Education Center in Salzburg .

When choosing Graz as the venue for the 2nd European Ecumenical Assembly in 1997, Schnuderl represented the Catholic Church in Styria as a delegate.

Heinrich Schnuderl headed the pastoral office in the Episcopal Ordinariate of the Diocese of Graz-Seckau from 1997 to 2011 . On January 6, 2005, Diocesan Bishop Egon Kapellari Schnuderl appointed Episcopal Vicar for the City of Graz . For the period from 2009 to 2011 he was elected as the successor to Pastor Winfried Nausner and Superintendent Hermann Miklas as chairman of the "Ecumenical Forum of Christian Churches in Styria" founded in 1999. The ecumenical lay him always particularly dear: so celebrated Schnuderl particular several significant ecumenical worship: worship the opening of the Capital of Culture year, Graz 2003 , a reflection on the tsunami disaster of 2004 in Graz Cathedral , church services on the occasion of 50 years Austrian State Treaty ( 2005) and 70 years of German troops marching in March 1938 (2008 in the Graz city parish church) or a pilgrimage from the Graz city parish church to the Graz synagogue on the evening of November 9, 2008 on the occasion of the commemoration of 70 years of the Reichspogromnacht .

Bishop Egon Kapellari and his vicar general Heinrich Schnuderl under the coat of arms of the Styrian diocesan bishops

As city parish priest, he endeavored to intensify cooperation and a joint appearance of the Graz parishes as the “Catholic City Church Graz”, the year “Graz - European Capital of Culture 2003” was shaped by him and his team. The “Kirchen Kultur Graz” with Gertraud Schaller-Pressler remains. The “ Long Night of the Churches ” is just one of many visible activities. The “Association for the Promotion of the Catholic University Community”, which he co-founded, is dedicated, among other things, to the “Quartier Leech”, which opened in 2013 and which unites the Catholic university community and the Afro-Asian Institute under one roof.

On September 1, 2011, Bishop Egon Kapellari appointed Heinrich Schnuderl Vicar General of the Diocese of Graz-Seckau and thus the successor to Helmut Burkard . At the same time he was appointed curator of the Diocesan Museum Graz , in this position he succeeded the former head of the Episcopal Office for Schools and Education, Episcopal Vicar Prelate Willibald Rodler .

The “Grüß Gott 2000” campaign and the “Sunday light” campaign, a metal boat in the shape of a fish that was supposed to decorate the Sunday table in Styrian households with a candlelight in the middle, after the Central European Catholic Day in Mariazell in 2004, go back to Heinrich Schnuderl among others . The rails for the current “Diocesan Path” of the Diocese of Graz-Seckau until 2018, which would like to creatively connect the 50-year memory of the Second Vatican Council with the 800-year anniversary of the diocese in 2018, were essentially laid by him.

Cathedral chapter at the cathedral and cathedral church of St. Aegydius in Graz 2010; Heinrich Schnuderl: 1st row, 1st from the left

After the resignation of Bishop Kapellari, announced on January 24th, 2015 and taking effect on January 28th, 2015, the Graz Cathedral Chapter elected the college of consultors of the Graz-Seckau diocese according to Can. 421 §1 of the Codex Iuris Canonici Heinrich Schnuderl on January 28, 2015 for the time of the vacancy of the diocese Graz-Seckau as its diocesan administrator . The office of diocesan administrator automatically expired on June 14, 2015 when the new diocesan bishop Wilhelm Krautwaschl, appointed by the Pope, took possession of the diocese .

Heinrich Schnuderl was then again Vicar General of the Diocese of Graz-Seckau and held this position up to and including August 31, 2015. His successor is the previous dean of Voitsberg , Erich Linhardt. Since September 1, 2015, Schnuderl has succeeded the long-time cathedral pastor Gottfried Lafer as cathedral pastor in Graz and at the same time episcopal vicar for society, culture, media and science.

Opinions on church issues

Heinrich Schnuderl at a conference in the Seggauberg educational center

In a first statement after his election as diocesan administrator of the Graz-Seckau diocese, Schnuderl emphasized that the “Diocesan Way” started in 2012 would be continued consistently: “We are continuing on this path and striving for the goals that we have set ourselves. These will certainly also be valid with a coming bishop: renew the joy of faith, realign pastoral care in the diocese and help shape our society as a church. I ask you for your prayers for the coming bishop and for our common path. "

Schnuderl, who as a former university chaplain, city pastor, pastoral director and episcopal vicar knows Styria like hardly any other priest, has long been considered episcopal . He was already under discussion in 2001 as the successor to Bishop Johann Weber - but never got a chance (yet). The reason: Schnuderl was the Vatican in the times of Pope John Paul II and Benedict XVI. as too unreliable. Schnuderl himself is fully committed to the tradition of the Second Vatican Council , the reform of which he experienced first hand as a young priest. He is credited with cutting a fine figure both in discussions with intellectuals and in conversations with “ordinary” people. According to a broadcast from the diocese of Graz-Seckau, he praised the previous diocesan bishop Egon Kapellari. He had lifted up those who were depressed, often encouraged them to find new ways and gave answers to questions about the present.

In various interviews after his election as diocesan administrator, Schnuderl said that he found it “very surprising” that the Vatican had still not appointed a bishop after four years. Schnuderl, asked about the 2015 Vatican Family Synod : “The sacrament of marriage is a great good. But if people could not maintain this very high good, there should be possibilities that people, fully reconciled with the church, can also participate in church life. ”“ There are situations in which a fresh start must be possible for believers. The prerequisite for this is belief in what happens in communion: an encounter with Jesus . In addition, there must be a reconciled situation with the ex-partner and the children. And there must be a believing longing to receive the sacrament (of the Eucharist) . There will never be a Catholic divorce , but there may be a second marriage with God's blessing . I hope that the synod opens up opportunities in autumn. ”The title of the interview with Heinrich Schnuderl from February 1, 2015,“ A second church marriage is conceivable ”, used by the Kleine Zeitung , is not an original quote from the interviewee.

Schnuderl also emphasized that it was a matter of reading the Second Vatican Council again, that it was the compass for the renewal of the Church, which had to become missionary . The faith must be passed from person to person, so it was essential Consignment to speak of mission. The times in which the ruler dictated the religion of his subjects are over, including those in which mission was equated as an export of European culture and civilization . It would be important to pick people up where they are. Not only in the usual and important field of the parish network , but also in kindergarten , in religious education , in pastoral care of the sick , in mourning . The church should not become a liturgical party service . Church is the people themselves, not just the pastor. The personal responsibility in the parishes is higher than 50 years ago.

In connection with the terrorist attacks in France in January 2015, Schnuderl said: “I condemn the attacks, but I couldn't say I am Charlie . We as religious communities in Graz already said in the Danish Muhammad cartoons : We do not want religion to be despised . That is necessary for a good coexistence . "

Heinrich Schnuderl spoke out against thinking bans: he could imagine married priests, a lifting of celibacy would bring about great changes. “Whether there will then be more priests is another question,” said Schnuderl.

Awards

Publications

literature

Web links

Commons : Heinrich Schnuderl  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Portrait of Heinrich Schnuderl on the website of the Diocese of Graz-Seckau , accessed on January 28, 2015.
  2. ↑ a b Bishop Krautwaschl makes Linhardt vicar general , kleinezeitung.at from June 11, 2015, accessed on June 14, 2015.
  3. ↑ a b Alles Neu im September , website of the Diocese of Graz-Seckau, accessed on September 1, 2015.
  4. ↑ a b c d Schnuderl elected diocesan administrator  ( page can no longer be accessed , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Website of the Diocese of Graz-Seckau, accessed on January 28, 2015.@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.katholische-kirche-steiermark.at  
  5. ↑ This and other biographical information, which is not taken from the homepage of the Diocese of Graz-Seckau, comes from the speech of Dr. Josef Wilhelms to celebrate the 70th birthday of Heinrich Schnuderl on September 20, 2013 in the refectory of the Graz seminary. The text of this speech is available in writing to Dn @ lor_01 (25 January 2015).
  6. ↑ a b c d A second church marriage is conceivable , kleinezeitung.at, accessed on February 1, 2015. However, the title of this article is not an original quote from Heinrich Schnuderl, see individual reference 16.
  7. ^ Website of the Catholic University Community of Graz , accessed on February 2, 2015.
  8. ↑ a b c Mag. Dr. theol. Heinrich Alois Schnuderl ( Memento of the original dated February 2, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , www.graz.at, accessed on February 2, 2015.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.graz.at
  9. ↑ Guest concert by the Warsaw University Choir St. Anna ( Memento of the original from January 28, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Kultur.graz.at, accessed on January 26, 2015.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / kultur.graz.at
  10. ^ Website of the Katholische Stadtkirche Graz , accessed on January 25, 2015.
  11. ^ Website quartier leech , accessed on January 25, 2015.
  12. ↑ Kapellari: Pope accepted his resignation , steiermark.orf.at, accessed on January 28, 2015.
  13. ↑ Diocese of Graz: Schnuderl Diözesanadministrator , religion.orf.at, accessed on January 28, 2015.
  14. ↑ Kapellari resignation: Cathedral chapter elected administrator , religion.orf.at, accessed on January 29, 2015.
  15. ↑ After Kapellari's resignation: Schnuderl is administrator , kleinezeitung.at, accessed on January 28, 2015.
  16. ↑ Vicar General Erich Linhardt: "I want to serve the people" , kleinezeitung.at of June 13, 2015, accessed on June 14, 2015.
  17. ↑ Handover from Dompfarrer Lafer to Dompfarrer Schnuderl , website of the Diocese of Graz-Seckau, accessed on September 1, 2015.
  18. ↑ Der neue Dompfarrer , website of the Dompfarre Graz, accessed on September 1, 2015.
  19. ↑ Council priest leads Graz diocese , diepresse.com, accessed on January 30, 2015.
  20. ^ Heinrich Schnuderl: For Communion to Divorced People , diepresse.com, accessed on January 30, 2015.
  21. ↑ Original information from Heinrich Schnuderl from February 1, 2015, is available in writing in Dn @ lor_01 .
  22. ↑ No “liturgical party service” , website of the Graz-Seckau diocese, accessed on February 4, 2015.
personal data
SURNAME Schnuderl, Heinrich
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian Roman Catholic priest and vicar general of the Diocese of Graz-Seckau
DATE OF BIRTH September 20, 1943
PLACE OF BIRTH Graz