International Day of Reparation for the Blasphemy in Linz Cathedral, Austria
An obscene statue depicting the Blessed Virgin Mary in a blasphemous manner has been prominently displayed in the Cathedral of Linz, Austria. The statue, which features a semi-nude figure giving birth and is labeled "Mother of God," caused great indignation among Catholics around the world.
Worst of all, this blasphemy takes place under the passive (or complicit) gaze of the Bishop of Linz, the Most Rev. Manfred Scheuer.
The obscene nature of the statue even led Facebook to censor it, classifying it according to its internal rules for explicit content.
The backlash from the Catholic community was swift and widespread. Within days of the exhibition's opening, an Austrian faithful partially destroyed the statue in reparation. Despite this, the statue was subsequently repaired and relocated to a different section of the cathedral.
The diocese did not see a problem with such a blasphemous portrayal. Even after public outcry, the statue remained on display.
When the pleas of faithful Catholics were ignored, the Austrian Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family, and Property (TFP) organized an online petition addressed to the Bishop of Linz, the Most Rev. Manfred Scheuer, who had given permission for the statue to be displayed at the cathedral.
The petition, which was later reproduced in Germany and the United States, collected tens of thousands of signatures within a few days and had its first package of signatures delivered personally to the secretariat of the Diocese of Linz.
July 13th - Anniversary of Fatima and International Day of Reparation
Taking advantage of the occasion of the celebration of the 107th anniversary of the Apparition of the Blessed Virgin at Fatima on July 13, the Austrian faithful organized themselves to offer an act of reparation.
Volunteers from various TFP's, who traveled to Linz on that day to deliver their petition in person, decided to carry out various campaigns around the city to give a public testimony of Faith and rejection to this terrible blasphemy.
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A lot happened that day.
In the morning, Austrian, German, French, Polish, Brazilian, and American TFP members took to the streets of Linz and handed out leaflets and talked to passers-by
The campaign started at the Hauptplatz Plaza, Linz’s main square, which bustled with foot traffic from a street market and music festival taking place simultaneously.
Around every thirty minutes, the campaign moved to another part of the city, repeating this maneuver several times over the course of two hours. By doing this, they covered as much ground as possible.
Following the morning campaign, the TFP volunteers proceeded to Bishop Manfred Scheuer’s office, where they delivered the petition of over 33,000 signatures protesting the blasphemous statue.
Two acts of reparation have been called for July 13, the second organized by volunteers from various TFP around the world.
The first vigil, attended by approximately 200 people, took place at 2:00 p.m. behind the cathedral, where participants recited multiple rosaries and received a blessing from a priest.
The second one, called "International Act of Reparation" began at 5 p.m. with the solemn entrance of the Austrian TFP’s statue of Our Lady of Fatima and trumpet blasts which resounded throughout the streets of Linz.
In addition to the statue and trumpets, there were bagpipes, several banners, and sixteen TFP volunteers. They were joined by locals who they invited earlier that day, resulting in a beautiful scene that Saturday afternoon.
In between the mysteries of the rosary, participants sang Marian hymns in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
They held banners that quoted the saints and featured beautiful images of Our Lady, which were meant to counteract the horrendous caricature that was placed in the Cathedral.
Some passersby heckled the rally participants, but the vast majority of people showed support. Many locals realized that such a sculpture was indefensible.
These prayer gatherings were held outside the immediate vicinity of the cathedral because the diocese, which controls the cathedral square, denied permission for the events to take place there.
The diocese hosts and promotes blasphemy, but has no place for prayers of reparation!
If you haven't already done so, go to one of the links below and sign your protest now!