Würzburg/Rome. The dispute between Deacon Reinhold Glaser (Mömbris) and the Würzburg diocese has been making headlines for months and is putting a massive strain on pastoral care in the Kahlgrund pastoral area. The answer from Rome to the canonical disputes is now available. Accordingly, in a letter dated October 28, 2023, the Roman Dicastery for the Clergy rejects all hierarchical complaints from Deacon Glaser and his lawyer and at the same time confirms those of Bishop Dr. Franz Jung issued decrees against Deacon Glaser in the fall of 2022 and at the beginning of 2023. The Dicastery cites factual and legal unfoundedness as the reason for rejecting the complaints. This emerges from a statement from the press office of the Würzburg Ordinariate on Wednesday evening.
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For Deacon Glaser, the Roman decision means that the suspension announced by Bishop Jung at the beginning of 2023 has been confirmed and is therefore effective. This prohibits Glaser from all acts of authority and services associated with the deacon ordination as well as from exercising his rights as a member of the Mittlerer Kahlgrund parish council.
“Rome further confirms the ban on the exercise of the service of permanent deacon in the Kahlgrund pastoral area, as well as any interference in the pastoral care of the pastoral area, which the bishop had already issued to Glaser in autumn 2022,” it said. The transfer to permanent retirement was finally confirmed.
Regarding the founding of an “Association for Christian Pastoral Care in Freedom”, the Dicastery emphasizes that Glaser has once again distanced himself from the church community. This means that the relationship of trust has been permanently broken.
Since 2022, there have been ongoing conflicts between Glaser and Pastor Andreas Hartung as well as the pastoral team of the Kahlgrund pastoral area regarding the deacon’s service and behavior. Multiple efforts at conciliation and mediation, most recently by Vicar General Dr. Jürgen Vorndran, failed.
The result was several decrees from the bishop against the deacon, which were followed by complaints filed by Glaser and his lawyer with the Roman Dicastery for the Clergy. With the letter from Rome dated October 28, 2023, the complaints from Glaser and his lawyer have now been rejected and the bishop’s decrees have been confirmed, the press release from the Würzburg Ordinariate concludes.
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