Linz excom hijinz… er… comjinx … er… hijinx

Interesting things continue in Austria.

From Catholic Church Conservatism:

Excommunicated Female "Bishop" seizes Communion

In haste, late at night from the Upper Austrian News.

The Sunday worship celebration in the Parish of St. Peter in Linz did not make the excommunicated "Bishop" Christine Mayr-Lumetzberger as happy as she would have wished. Bishop Ludwig Schwarz refused her communion with the Host. Then she took the wafer herself. [God helps those who help themselves, to…. sacraments,… other stuff….]

400 people joined the celebration of Mass in the Parish of St. Peter on 28June.. It was held in honour of the church’s patron, St. Peter. Among them, high-ranking politicians. But few noticed what happened during the Communion.  [Why does it seem that politicians are involved in stuff like this these days.  Is it my imagination?]

Christine Mayr-Lumetzberger was dressed as a Bishop when she appeared at the Mass in official dress with a large pectoral Cross. [ROFL!]  During the Communion she chose, consciously or unconsciously, the row in which the Diocesan Bishop Ludwig Schwarz distributed communion. The bishop suggested to her that she should not come, because he could not give her Communion. But Mayr-Lumetzberger would not stop. When it came to her, she was not given the Host. According to ecclesiastical law, someone excommunicated may not receive communion.

Mayr-Lumetzberger took the host herself from the ciborium. "I was there for all men and women in a similar situation in life," she says in discussion with OÖN. [Ahhh… so self-sacrificing!] Is it normal to receive the Host like this? "There are different models of the Communion," she says.  [Whatever that means.  I think she means that she is in Communion regardless of what the Church says.  Yep, that’s pretty much it.] What did she feel? "In the first moment, nothing. But now [that I have had time to figured out best to get the press to pay attention] I feel hurt and angry, like a woman who has been beaten for the first time by a man, "says Mayr-Lumetzberger.  [PUHLEEZE]

Had she expected to receive Communion?" Yes. The Gospel is a higher authority than canon law. [Convenient.] "Mayr-Lumetzberger is excommunicated since according to Canon Law ordination of priestesses is prohibited. It had however never happened that she did not receive the Host. The Church of St. Peter is her home parish. "I know Christine a long time. For me, she has never come for Communion. She knows what situation this would put me in "says Parish Priest Franz Zeiger. This Sunday, she came dressed as a Bishop to the Mass.

Do she wish to provoke and did she want to attract attention? [D’ya think?] "I cannot judge. But dress codes, I cannot enforce on anybody, "says Pastor Zeiger. Did he understand the attitude of Bishop Ludwig Schwarz? "Yes. in canon law he cannot. " [But she is above canon law!] Observers had the impression that the situation during the Mass was painful for Bishop Ludwig Schwarz.

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56 Comments

  1. Geoffrey says:

    Someone should also tell “Her Excellency the Lady Bishop” that her “stole” is showing.

  2. Alice says:

    Why do priestesses and bishopesses always get the costume wrong? It’s really quite annoying.

  3. Disgusted in DC says:

    I’ve long thought that it was only a matter of time before the left-wing fring would start grabbing the Sacrament, shouting “gimme! gimme!” Coming soon to a cathedral near you.

  4. Yeah, uh, nice collar, er, pearls. I’m still trying to figure out why she’s wearing a falconer wristband.

  5. Jeff Pinyan says:

    How much more difficult this would have been if Communion were only received on the tongue… and if an altar rail was used…

    Sigh. Miserere, Domine. Kyrie, eleison!

  6. Jack says:

    “The Gospel is a higher authority than canon law” – perhaps she should re-read Mathew 16 or John 21?, I gotta admit she has some guts, not even the SSPX or the Sedevacantists have ever tried this excuse before :)

  7. Jeff says:

    From wikipedia:
    “Christine Mayr-Lumetzberger (born 1956 in Linz, Austria) is a teacher and former Benedictine nun who was excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church when she and six others were allegedly, though not canonically or validly, ordained as priests by an Independent Catholic Bishop in 2002, called herself a Roman Catholic priest and refused to recant. She was ordained a bishop in 2003 along with Gisela Forster, although the identity of the supposedly Roman Catholic bishops who allegedly ordained them remains a secret. Her motivation is to promote the ordination of women within the Roman Catholic Church. This “ordination” was invalid, as was her ‘ordination’ to the priesthood, because the Catholic Church does not and cannot ordain women.”

    Wow, imagine that. She has an agenda. Seriously, why not just become an Anglican or better yet an Episcopalian. It should be obvious what happens when you cave to every whim. There is A LOT to be said for structure and discipline.

  8. Maynardus says:

    “Bishop Ludwig Schwarz refused her communion…Then she took the wafer herself”

    What a nuthouse. Given that the benighted burghers and crackpot clerics of Linz gave their new auxiliary the bum’s rush a few months ago, do you suppose that (Miz) Lumetzberger-the-laic was The People’s Choice?

    Isn’t this Hitler’s hometown? Must be something in the water, these people are as mad as hatters…

  9. Jason Keener says:

    And I thought women understood fashion?!? That stole is definitely not a keeper. She should send it back to Father McBrien right away.

  10. Mitchell NY says:

    But why should she be hurt and angry now…I mean she is a Bishop, that she has aspired to be, right? She had the vestments and she has her title, what could she be missing? She is part of her own magesterium and calls herself a Roman Catholic Bishop and so do a couple of others…Certainly she does not wish to force her opinion on the rest of us in The Holy Catholic Apostolic Church does she? That would not be very tolerant and “Vat II” of her…….The whole thing makes me gag….

  11. Pierre Ronsard says:

    I was of course much edified when I saw how Archbishop Egan of NY resist an attempt by some a person to snatch the sacred host from his hand after being refused communion. I also recall the late pastor of St.Paul’s church in Cambridge MA Father Joseph Collins telling me how after the late Father Leonard Feeney SJ (later reconciled) was ex-communicated along with his followers (many reconciled), two policemen stood next to him when communion was distributed just in case they tried to take communion.
    Now when I was was in college I read an article that cited some post-Conciliar documents that stated that under certain conditions communion could be received by non-Catholics, provided that they accepted the teachings of the Church concerning the eucharist and were unable to receive communion in their own sects or denomination for some reason or other, presumably distance. I took the documents and the article to the chaplain who relayed it to the professor of sacramental theology at the local archdiocesan seminary. Both reported back that the document was erroneous and that we should wait until Rome clarified the matter. Since that time things have gotten worse.Some priests give communion to anyone willing to open their mouth or hold out their hand. I have heard no definitive clarification from Rome about this. It is scandalous and really quite annoying especially given the fact that week after week we put up with untold liturgical and other abuses—even sacrilege— just to stay in communion with Rome. The flesh despairs. But is that despair a spirit of discernment allowing us to know that we are in the True Church?

  12. Erin says:

    “like a woman who has been beaten for the first time by a man,”

    I wonder how Jesus felt when she disobeyed His commandments and (wo)manhandled his Precious Body.

  13. Pseudomodo says:

    Monsignor Escriva would know how to deal with her!

  14. Rob Cartusciello says:

    Worst..Pectoral..Cross….Ever.

    I’ve seen better done by a kindergartener with tounge depressors.

  15. Athelstane says:

    Somewhere out there, a Unitarian parish is missing its pastor.

  16. Alice said: “Why do priestesses and bishopesses always get the costume wrong?”

    I really must protest! The lady is not a bishopess. Surely she is a bishopette.

    Again, they are not bishopesses (a cumbersome word) but bishopettes (trips off the tongue).

  17. Ohio Annie says:

    Pierre, Despair would be some sort of sin, but you are correct that your distress is the working of the Holy Spirit telling you the difference between right and wrong.

    I am annoyed by this type of story. I was studying to be an Anglican priest and found in my reading that women can’t be priests and I should become Catholic. I had a hard time getting into the Church even, everybody seemed to think it was just fine my remaining non-Catholic. The saving of souls didn’t seem to matter to them.

    All these troubles in the Church. I get upset but then I go to Eucharistic Adoration and just listen. Then the troubles become just more waves on the big ocean of life. Our little boats sometimes take on water but still we bail and keep paddling (my boat is very small and lacks sails).

  18. Monica says:

    Are you sure she’s not one of the high priestess’ in the Richmond, Virginia diocese? We are on the cutting edge of 1980s-style liturgy.

  19. Jeffery Schwehm says:

    Some similar to this happened in the diocese of Lincoln, NE when the head of Call to Action attended a Mass celebrated by Bishop Bruskewitz.

  20. Bogna says:

    Modernists should advertise it:
    “HANDCOMMUNION:
    SACRILEGE WAS NEVER SO EASY!”

  21. Steve K. says:

    Monica, you got that right. I have never understood that, given this is a fairly conservative part of the country, but the diocese is in the hands of a cabal of ladies and fellow travelers who would more at home in San Francisco. At least we have two FSSP chapels in the diocese, thank the Lord!

    My previous parish was run by an administrator who carried the nickname “She Who Must Be Obeyed” and who made it a point to teach RCIA catechumans that dissent on WO was okay and that she had it on good authority that women would be admitted to the presbyteriate and episcopate within 20 years. Dissent was the order of the day, unless you dissented against her dissent, then look out…

  22. Chris says:

    It’s even funnier that that’s what they think a bishop looks like. Pretty sad commentary on the dress code of our bishops these days.

  23. Joanne says:

    “High-ranking politicians” were also present, according to the article. Surely at least some of them favor legalized abortion. Anyone know if the Bishop also refused Communion to them?

  24. Veritas says:

    Is there no law in Austria which forbids the disruption of religious services?

  25. Patrick says:

    HA…what an idiot! Doesn’t she know to wear cassock and rochet when sitting in choir and put on her stole for Communion? She should know better than to show up in a bleached burlap alb. And did she leave her cincture and amice at home? If she really thinks she’s a bishop she should dress like one.

  26. Chris says:

    “If she really thinks she’s a bishop she should dress like one.”

    While I’m not backing she-bishop, you could also say that about practically every US bishop. You see them and, besides the Cross, they look like run-of-the-mill priests.

  27. Blessed Karl says:

    Patrick, there is no reason for insults. YOu should be offering prayers for this woman…not insults. We must be careful and remember to have patience. Let us not behave in an unChristian manner when reading stuff like this. Please we must have humility! Calling her an idiot does not contribute and does the oppossite of what must be accomplished.

  28. Bruce says:

    “Yes. The Gospel is a higher authority than canon law.”
    Mayr-Lumetzberger

    “Another head like to Christ must be invented – that is, another Christ – if besides the one Church, which is His body, men wish to set up another.

    ‘See what you must beware of – see what you must avoid – see what you must dread. It happens that, as in the human body, some member may be cut off – a hand, a finger, a foot. Does the soul follow the amputated member? As long as it was in the body, it lived; separated, it forfeits its life. So the Christian is a Catholic as long as he lives in the body: cut off from it he becomes a heretic – the life of the spirit follows not the amputated member. (S. Augustinus, Sermo cclxvii., n. 4)’

    The Church of Christ, therefore, is one and the same for ever; those who leave it depart from the will and command of Christ, the Lord – leaving the path of salvation they enter on that of perdition.

    ‘Whosoever is separated from the Church is united to an adulteress. He has cut himself off from the promises of the Church, and he who leaves the Church of Christ cannot arrive at the rewards of Christ….He who observes not this unity observes not the law of God, holds not the faith of the Father and the Son, clings not to life and salvation’ (S. Cyprianus, De Cath. Eccl. Unitate, n. 6

    SATIS COGNITUM
    ENCYCLICAL OF POPE LEO XIII

  29. q7swallows says:

    The bright side: Bishop Schwarz did refuse to give Holy Communion to this unfortunate woman in the first place. Every brick correctly placed is a step forward, a step upwards. Deo gratias.

  30. RichR says:

    Spot on commentary. You forgot the part about praying for her eternal soul. The fact that a soul is this warped is no cause for joy (not that you are joyful Fr., but others may take this route), but rather concern. I don’t know what the “rehabilitation rate” is for these types, but anything is possible.

  31. AlephGamma says:

    The German Protestants (EKD) would more than welcome her probably as bishopress, or would they?

  32. Alice says:

    I stand corrected, my dear Mr. O’Rourke. :) Bishopette she shall be called.

  33. AlephGamma says:

    All this German-speaking Landeskirchen stuff is confusing. I assume the Austrian equivalent of the EKD would accept her, but which branch and would they even accept Holy Orders? What a mess.

  34. Heather says:

    And the Bishop did nothing to stop her? Whatever happened to dying rather than allow the Blessed Sacrament to be profaned?

    St. Tarcisius ora pro nobis!

    http://saints.sqpn.com/saint-tarcisius/

  35. Jayna says:

    “I feel hurt and angry, like a woman who has been beaten for the first time by a man.”

    Any woman who has been a victim of real physical abuse should be offended by this remark. This woman brought this all on herself and in the process she is belittling real abuse. Shameful, absolutely shameful. And if she is so keen to be a Catholic bishop, why does she hate the Church so much?

  36. Girgadis says:

    Very depressing that a soul could plunge to such depths.

  37. Chris Pemberton says:

    Exactly Heather.
    It is intriguing that she could actually get her hand into the ciborium. A step back by the Bishop would have prevented that.

    There’s something not right about this whole affair, aside from the obvious sacrilege.

  38. Boko says:

    Shame on the patriarchal bishop for politicizing the Sacrament. “Judge not,” buddy. I mean, it’s not like she presented herself kneeling. Denial in that case is required by VII. (I would also point out to some commenters that openly mocking a person and praying for her soul are not mutually exclusive. Sometimes they go together like shama-lama-ding-dong and bop-shu-lop-shu-bop.)

  39. Mark VA says:

    Perhaps she can promote herself to popess, and then write an encyclical on the “different models of the Commumion”. Let’s pray for the mind of this delusional woman.

    Kudos to Bishop Schwarz for standing his ground!

    By the way, I also did hear about these “host grabbers” in my diocese as well. The “thinking” being that it is entierly appropriate to just take the host, and not receive it from the priest. Is this some kind of new progressive idea?

  40. stigmatized says:

    after i requested mass in the old rite at the parish where i attend daily mass i began to be told by people in the parish that i had a problem with authority in the church and that i was ‘schismatic’. knowing that i was thought to be in schism amongst those in the parish caused me to not want to receive communion there any longer. i finally made the decision when one of the order’s new priests shouted over my voice when i prayed an intercession that we might have access to our rite. having a priest with a deep microphoned voice shout over your intercession gets the point across that you are not welcome. i did not feel that i should receive the eucharist that day or on any day since. i guess that is the opposite feeling than feeling that you have the right to receive. when you are not welcome in the church it is difficult to approach the altar. i think that people should consider how difficult this must have been for her.

  41. Jayna says:

    “Is this some kind of new progressive idea?”

    I was unaware that any of them have had a new idea since 1975.

  42. JC says:

    Davide O’Rourke: “I really must protest! The lady is not a bishopess. Surely she is a bishopette. Again, they are not bishopesses (a cumbersome word) but bishopettes (trips off the tongue).”

    Yeah, but I’d replace that first “s” with a “tc” if not in polite company. The new word (and pronunciation) would probably be more descriptive.

  43. Jayna says:

    “i finally made the decision when one of the order’s new priests shouted over my voice when i prayed an intercession that we might have access to our rite. having a priest with a deep microphoned voice shout over your intercession gets the point across that you are not welcome.”

    Well, I would first ask if he opened the floor for intercessions. If he did not, then you were out of order for shouting one out. Second, you must also remember that you have every right to receive communion and choose not to. This woman may want to, but she has been excommunicated and has no right whatsoever to receive. I refuse to consider how difficult this is for her when she knowingly did this to herself. Had she been faithful and obedient to the Church none of this would be an issue.

  44. Aelric says:

    If Ms. Mayr-Lumetzberger truly believes herself a bishop, instead of wasting time engaged in this stunt, nay, sacrilege, why was she not otherwise occupied by offering, er, mass for the sanctification of her, er, priests and the faithful entrusted to her pastoral care? Put another way, wouldn’t she have something more important to do?

    Oh, right.

  45. fxr2 says:

    stigmatized,
    This \’bishopess\’ was welcome even as you felt unwelcome. She was always free to receive the blessed sacrament. She wanted to be ordained a \’priestess\’, to \’consecrate\’ her own \’sacrament\’. That was not enough for her, she wanted to be able to \’ordain\’ her own \’priestesses\’ and other \’bishopesses\’. When you were spoken of as a \’schismatic\’ you could not bring yourself to approach the blessed sacrament; even now that Pope Benedict XVI has made your aspirations clearly legitimate. I can\’t imagine you would ever \’snatch\’ the blessed sacrament from a ciborium. I could not and I can\’t imagine you could either. You would suffer in silence and fulfill your obligation as best you could closing your eyes and praying the rosary if the liturgy was that bad. I pray for her because there must be a glint of recognition of the true presence of our Lord which she has been obviously been missing. God willing she too will return!

  46. Pseudomodo says:

    God Bless her for at least recognizing where the Eucharist really is. As a (fake) bishop who wanted communion she could have just made it herself (not).

    Perhaps she deep down realizes that she has no power to do so.

  47. Dr. Eric says:

    This kind of news really disturbs me. Maybe it is my mindset right now, but I can’t take much more of this.

  48. stigmatized says:

    my intercession was spoken in a normal voice. i do not have a microphone. i was told i was schismatic months after summorum was issued.

  49. Since only a few go to her pretend “masses” she has to crash the real thing. Pray in reparation for such abuse heaped upon Our Lord.

  50. Paul says:

    This is so very sorrowful.

    I can’t help but imagine a person taking a bite out of Christ’s flesh while he is hanging on the cross, surrounded by the mocking of the Jews and Romans, and then quoting John 6:54. It brings tears to my eyes, to imagine the abuse under cover of “religiousity.”

    Paul

  51. Matt Q says:

    Was that actually a skit for TV? It’s almost to the point it’s that comical. Sadly though it’s not. To think she’s going around actually thinking she’s a bishopette is a real delusion of grandeur. Mental patient stuff. When she was going up for Communion, why didn’t someone stomp on the hem of her costume? It would have given the bishop a few more seconds to react.

    Oh, well. Now we know what she’ll be wearing for Halloween.

  52. Mark says:

    “Observers had the impression that the situation during the Mass was painful for Bishop Ludwig Schwarz.”

    I would think it was! I feel sorry for the bishop to have been put in this situation, and also for Ms Mayr-Lumetzberger. It’s sad to see someone so deluded and caught up in herself…

  53. irishgirl says:

    My Lord-I can’t take much of this stuff.

    Why are these ‘women’ so arrogant?

  54. irishgirl says:

    Should have said ‘much MORE’….

    Oy…that’s what happens when brain and fingers are not coordinating!

    Sigh….

  55. Ramil says:

    A class act, all the way.

  56. stigmatized says:

    as someone who is unable to relate to worship in the novusordo religion because of its being centered on the person of the priest, i can understand how she has lived her life in the church in a state of uncertainty about what is actually going on in the sanctuary at mass. if all she ever saw was a man being made the focus and any ridiculous thing he said being microphoned before hundreds of people, wouldn’t she naturally grow to resent this?

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