For Lent, Austrian Diocese Promotes Prayer to ‘God of Diversities’

Because it’s Lent…

Austrian Diocese Promotes Prayer to ‘God of Diversities’

(not an actual image used or promoted by the diocese of Graz-Seckau)

Exploring Lent in the Vatican II Church is always an adventure with much to discover. It’s also a bit dangerous because you just don’t know what you’re going to come across.

Whether it’s an Italian diocese urging Catholics to pray and eat with Muslims for Ramadan, an uplifting swing installed in church, a ‘retreat’ on a luxury cruise liner, a gigantic sweater draped in the cathedral sanctuary, an archdiocesan ‘retreat’ teaching ‘fidelity’ to sodomite couples, a despicable ‘art’ installation in church, or a set of horror ‘Stations of the Cross’ — the Lenten season in Novus Ordo Land never fails to surprise. Indeed, even having to explain the purpose of Lent to a Jesuit is not out of the question.

This year, we find an interesting Lenten phenomenon in the diocese of Graz-Seckau, Austria, under the infernal leadership of ‘Bishop’ Wilhelm Krautwaschl (b. 1963): All throughout the penitential season, the diocese publishes a daily inspiration (‘impulse’) to which people can subscribe by email or WhatsApp.

So far, that doesn’t seem like a bad idea; but of course it’s the content that matters.

The Lenten reflection published on Mar. 7, 2024, is entitled “Under the Rainbow” and includes a prayer to the “god of diversities” (Vielfaltengott in German). That’s right: diversities, plural. (Apparently diversity alone isn’t enough anymore.)

It reads as follows in English translation:

God of diversities / You make everything so beautiful / There is not just blue or pink / boy or girl, man or woman – no: / You love all colors and those in between / Under the brightly-colored rainbow You promised us your faithfulness / Be praised by my humanity, / which reflects You in this world! / Today I resolve consciously to take note of and value people’s colorful diversity

This is the German original as published:

Vielfaltengott, / Du machst alles so schön / es gibt nicht nur blau oder rosa, / Bub oder Mädchen, Mann oder Frau – nein: / Du liebst alle Farben und Zwischenfarben / Unter dem buntstrahlenden Regenbogen hast Du uns deine Treue versprochen / Sei gelobt durch mein Menschsein, / das Dich abbildet in dieser Welt! / Heute will ich bewusst die Buntheit der Menschen beachten und schätzen

(Source: Kath.net, Mar. 17, 2024)

The prayer to this bizarre ‘god’ was composed by Marlies Prettenthaler-Heckel, a ‘theologian’ employed by the diocese. (In 2023, she was involved in the making of this gorgeous ‘banner of creation’ for the Feast of Corpus Christi, which was draped over the Novus Ordo altar. Just saying.)

Our most recent podcast episode (TRADCAST EXPRESS 188, released on Mar. 20) also covers this insane prayer to whatever false deity the lady theologian is invoking there:

With all this diversity — pardon us, diversities — one wonders why Mrs. Prettenthaler-Heckel didn’t make it a prayer to the gods of diversities or, better yet, to the goddesses of diversities.

But then, perhaps that’s scheduled for next Lent.

Image source: Shutterstock (Anita Ponne)
License: paid