Korbinian Birnbacher

Archabbot speaks out in favor of women in the priesthood

Birnbacher recently presented his book "Weites Leben, weites Herz" (Wide Life, Wide Heart)(Bild: Tschepp Markus)

The ministry is ready for a woman! Korbinian Birnbacher also sees an opening for women priests in the church. But only "if the Holy Spirit wills it".

For Korbinian Birnbacher, it is apparently only a matter of time: the Archabbot of St. Peter's in the city of Salzburg is in favor of opening up the church and the priesthood. Birnbacher can imagine the ordination of women to the priesthood, but only "if the Holy Spirit wills it", he explained in an interview in the weekly newspaper "Die Furche".

"Sooner or later"
The Chairman of the Conference of Religious Orders and Archabbot of Salzburg is convinced that the opening up of the priesthood "will come sooner or later". However, giving women the opportunity to become priests "should not be forced", says Birnbacher. "I think that would be counterproductive." However, his institution can be trusted to do something.

"The church has made such leaps before," explained the archabbot. He referred to an example from the early church: it had opened itself up to Gentile Christians through a council of apostles.

Head of the oldest monastery
Korbinian Birnbacher, who grew up in neighboring Berchtesgadener Land, joined the Benedictine Abbey of St. Peter in 1987 and was ordained a priest in 1994. Birnbacher has now been Archabbot of St. Peter's for eleven years. He not only heads the most important monastery in Salzburg, but also the oldest in the entire German-speaking world.