Gerhard Maria Wagner
{{Short description|Austrian Roman Catholic priest}}
{{about|the Austrian Catholic priest Gerhard Maria Wagner|other people of the same name|Gerhard Wagner (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox Christian leader
| type = Priest
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Gerhard Maria Wagner
| honorific-suffix =
| title = Parish Priest of Windischgarsten
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| church = Catholic Church
| archdiocese = Archdiocese of Vienna
| diocese = Diocese of Linz
| see =
| elected =
| term = 1988 to present
| predecessor =
| successor =
| other_post = Auxiliary Bishop-elect of Linz (31 January 2009 – 2 March 2009)
| ordination = 10 October 1978
| ordained_by = László Lékai
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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|7|17|df=y}}
| birth_place = Wartberg ob der Aist, Upper Austria, Austria
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| nationality = Austrian
| religion = Catholicism
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| honorific_prefix = The Reverend
}}
Gerhard Maria Wagner (born 17 July 1954, Wartberg ob der Aist, Austria) is an Austrian Catholic priest who was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Linz on 31 January 2009.{{cite news |title=Gerhard Wagner ist neuer Weihbischof für Linz |url=https://www.diepresse.com/448726/gerhard-wagner-ist-neuer-weihbischof-fuer-linz |work=Die Presse |date=13 January 2009 |access-date=28 March 2022 |language=German}} Amidst controversy over his views that sin caused Hurricane Katrina, Wagner turned the post down on 15 February 2009.
Ordained ministry
On 10 October 1978, Wagner was ordained to the priesthood of the Roman Catholic Church by Cardinal László Lékai, Archbishop of Esztergom.{{cite web|last1=Cheney|first1=David M.|title=Father Gerhard Maria Wagner|url=http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bwagnerg.html|website=Catholic-Hierarchy|accessdate=19 January 2017}} Since 1988, he has been parish priest of Windischgarsten, Upper Austria in the Diocese of Linz.{{cite web|title=Dr Gerhard Maria Wagner|url=https://www.dioezese-linz.at/pfarre/4477/pfarre/personen/article/30607.html|website=Diözese Linz|publisher=Katholische Kirche in Oberösterreich|accessdate=19 January 2017|language=German}}
=Episcopal appointment=
On 31 January 2009, Wagner was appointed auxiliary bishop of Linz, Austria, by Pope Benedict XVI. Amidst controversy over his views, Wagner resigned on 15 February 2009.
Wagner's appointment as auxiliary bishop was met with controversy among Austrian Roman Catholics, with Linz Diocese Bishop Ludwig Schwarz supportive, an informal group of priests led by Upper Austria church dean Franz Wild opposed, and Graz-Seckau Diocese Bishop Egon Kapellari optimistic that the "crisis" would be overcome by "good will" from both supporters and opponents.Veronika Oleksyn, "Priests protest pope's bishop choice" in Times-Picayune, 12 February 2009, Saint Tammany Edition, p. A11 (web version = [http://www.nola.com/ap/stories/index.ssf?/base/international-32/1234390154304270.xml&storylist=topstories "Austria: Priests criticize pope's bishop pick").] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120930180903/http://www.nola.com/ap/stories/index.ssf?%2Fbase%2Finternational-32%2F1234390154304270.xml&storylist=topstories |date=30 September 2012 }}
Two weeks after his appointment Wagner requested its revocation because of the widespread criticism.{{cite news|url=https://ooev1.orf.at/stories/342644 |title=Papst um Rücknahme der Ernennung ersucht. |language=German |work=Radio Oberösterreich |date=15 February 2009 |access-date=28 March 2022}} In those 2 weeks the number of people leaving the Church had quadrupled in his Linz congregation, with similar or even higher numbers in the neighbouring communities, many of the ex-parishioners naming Wagner's appointment as the reason for their departure.{{cite news|url=https://ooev1.orf.at/stories/341281 |title=Hunderte Kirchenaustritte in Oberösterreich. |language=German |work=Radio Oberösterreich |date=10 February 2009 |access-date=28 March 2022}} The Times-Picayune reported Wagner's announcement in an Associated Press article concluding with a comparison between the Wagner situation and that surrounding the Holy See's decision to lift the excommunication of the bishops of the Society of St. Pius X, particularly Holocaust-denier Richard Williamson.Eric Willemsen, "Austrian pastor cedes promotion" in Times-Picayune, 16 February 2009, Metro Edition, p. A3 ([http://www.nola.com/ap/stories/index.ssf?/base/international-32/1234726754205410.xml&storylist=topstories "Austria: 'Katrina' pastor giving up promotion").] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120930180909/http://www.nola.com/ap/stories/index.ssf?%2Fbase%2Finternational-32%2F1234726754205410.xml&storylist=topstories |date=30 September 2012 }} The Vatican formally accepted the resignation and dispensed Wagner from his appointment on 2 March 2009.{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/austrian-katrina-pastor-giving-up-promotion-report-1.795691 |title=Austrian 'Katrina' pastor giving up promotion: report |work=CBC.ca |date=15 February 2009 |access-date=28 March 2022}}
Views
Wagner alleged that the Harry Potter novels partake of satanism.{{Cite web |url=http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=11485 |title=Controversial Austrian priest now a bishop. |access-date=7 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090206003717/http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=11485 |archive-date=6 February 2009 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}
Wagner became widely known in the world press for his 2005 comment attributing Hurricane Katrina to God's ire toward the sins of New Orleans.[http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_11598968 Cleric whose Katrina comment caused stir promoted];{{dead link|date=January 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Veronika Oleksyn, [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/01/rev-gerhard-maria-wagner-_n_162920.html Wagner appointment in Huffington Post.]
References
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Category:20th-century Austrian Roman Catholic priests
Category:People from Freistadt District