Language:
German
Year of publication:
1989
Titel der Quelle:
Zeitgeschichte
Angaben zur Quelle:
17,3 (1989) 127-162
Keywords:
Blood accusation
;
Antisemitism History 1500-
;
Antisemitism History 1945-
;
Christianity and antisemitism
;
Rinn (Austria)
Abstract:
Discusses the controversy over the abolition in 1985 of the cult of Andreas of Rinn, an alleged victim of ritual murder in the 15th century, who was canonized in 1752. The bishop of Innsbruck, Reinhold Stecher, denounced the ritual murder legend (see his article in the "Freiburger Rundbrief" 37-38, 1987). He was supported by most of the Church hierarchy, the local parson, and the national press. In Rinn there was strong opposition to removal of the child's bones from the church altar and of sculptures and murals depicting the murder . On his saint's day, pilgrims came to worship outside the closed church. The bishop rejected a suggestion that the cult be dissociated from the blood libel. The cause was taken up by an ultra-orthodox Catholic fringe which rejected the reforms initiated by the Vatican Council and was openly antisemitic. The controversy ended in 1989 when the Vatican issued a declaration supporting Bishop Stecher and stating that Jews never committed ritual murder and that Christians must condemn this libel. Emphasizes that the opposition to abolition of the cult was confined to small groups and was not accompanied by significant public manifestations of antisemitism, in contrast to the Waldheim election campaign which took place at the same time.
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