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Austria's rebel Catholics issue ultimatum on celibacy rule
Nov 5, 2011, 20:50 GMT
Vienna - Several reformist Catholic groups in Austria announced Saturday that ordinary believers would start holding masses without priests in defiance of church rules, unless women and married men were allowed to join the clergy.
The groups, including the lay organization We Are Church, enjoy broad backing among the population and have spawned similar movements in other European countries in recent years.
By joining forces, the five groups tightened pressure on Austria's bishops, who are meeting next week to mull similar demands that have been voiced by more than 300 priests.
In a statement, the groups criticized church rules that forbid married and female clergy, even though a third of parishes are without a priest.
We Are Church Chairman Hans Peter Hurka told dpa that the reformists would not wait much longer.
'Actually, what we said has come into effect as of now,' he said.
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