Still Running Off at the Keyboard

Vienna (dpa) - Austria's church promoted the upcoming visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Austria for months, hoping for a "fresh breeze" for the local church.

But what should be a home game for the German-born pope is being met with increasing indifference by Austria's Catholics, according to several polls published in the run-up to Benedict XVI arrival. According to one survey, 82 per cent said the pope's visit was of "little importance" to them. ...

In the traditionally strongly catholic country, the church, is losing members fast. A string of scandals over the past ten years drastically reduced the number of church members, 500,000 left the church between 1991 and 2006.

A cardinal being accused of abusing children, a sex scandal involving child porn at a seminary and the appointment of several controversial churchmen to high positions eroded faith and sped up the exodus from the church.

One survey indicated that while on paper 68 per cent of the population were catholic, only 15 per cent attended mass. Only 32 per cent said they had a good relationship with the church.

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