Cleric whose Katrina comment caused stir promoted
VATICAN CITY (AP) – An Austrian pastor who has been quoted as calling Hurricane Katrina God’s punishment for sin in New Orleans is being promoted to the rank of bishop.
The Vatican announced Saturday that Pope Benedict XVI has tapped the Rev. Gerhard Wagner, 54, to be auxiliary bishop in Linz, Austria. It made no mention of the reported remarks about Hurricane Katrina.
Wagner has served since 1988 as pastor of a church in the Austrian town of Windischgarsten and received a doctorate in theology from the prestigious Gregorian Pontifical University in Rome, the Vatican said.
In 2005, Wagner was quoted in a parish newsletter as saying that he was convinced that the death and destruction of Hurricane Katrina earlier that year was „divine retribution” for New Orleans’ tolerance of homosexuals and laid-back sexual attitudes.
Kath.Net, a Catholic news agency in Austria, released in 2005 excerpts of what it said were comments Wagner made in a parish newsletter in Linz about Katrina.
It said the newsletter quoted Wagner as saying that Katrina destroyed not only nightclubs and brothels in New Orleans, but also abortion clinics.
„The conditions of immorality in this city are indescribable,” Wagner was quoted as saying
An interview with Rev. Gerhard Maria Wagner HERE
source>
Referrer> http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-eu-vatican-new-orleans-bishop,0,5090497.story
Photo> http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2005/images/katrina-new-orleans-la-08-31-2005.jpg
http://kath.net/detail.php?id=21993&&print=yes
Theologhia 
Rick Naquin
februarie 1, 2009 at 8:39 pm
Is it any wonder the Catholic Church is irrelevant? I lost my eye while rescuing all those whoremongers and sinners. What did I do to deserve that? What did all of the God-fearing Christians of all faiths do to deserve the horror that I witnessed? We are descedants of Acadian French down here who are 90% Catholic which means he’s slandered millions of his OWN faith, what a fool and an ungodly man. I feel sorry for him.
May he burn in Hell. As I’m mad as hell. Especially in light of the fact that the Catholic Church has inflicted more pain in this world than even his Germanic brother Hitler did. Since he’s so damn omni-intellegent, what did the Jews and the world do to deserve their horror, please do tell, I’m all ears. How many boys has he had behind the altar? Has he even been to New Orleans outside of Mardi Gras and what he sees on TV?
He has NO spine and my 12 year old son is more of a man than he’ll ever be, and is obviously a better Christian right now in light of the fact that he’d NEVER say such a hateful and ignorant remark.
Charlotte Ischi
februarie 1, 2009 at 9:58 pm
It is terrible to promote this person to Bishop. First of all Gerhard Wagner should clean up his own problem with the Catholic church and their homosexuals who seduce all the little boys. If you ceredit God for the disaster in New Orleans I hope he will do likewise in your church. Proportion wise the Catholic Church has more homosexuals serving God and the Church. So please keep your Nose in your Country .We are proud of beeing Americans and these People who were affected in New Orleans do for sure not need a sick minded person to give such comments and then on top get promoted.Is that what you call religion.Then I don,t want any part of it