On June 30th at 12.30 p.m. on ORF 2 and on ORF ON
Vienna (OTS) – Sandra Szabo will present the following articles in the ORF religious magazine “Orientation” on Sunday, June 30, 2024, at 12:30 p.m. on ORF 2 and on ORF ON:
Premiere in St. Stephen’s Cathedral: What does a Byzantine priest believe?
There was an unusual premiere in Vienna’s St. Stephen’s Cathedral in June. For the first time in its 665-year history, a priestly ordination was celebrated according to the Byzantine rite. The new priest Siluan Gall has an unusual path of faith: As a descendant of Russian migrants in Germany, he was baptized as a Protestant, then entered a Roman Catholic monastery, converted to the Russian Orthodox Church before discovering the Ukrainian Catholic Church. As part of the ORF religious focus “What does Austria believe?” Christian Rathner reports on the winding path of faith of a new priest.
Serious Consequences: The Gaza War and the Jews in South Africa
The consequences of the war in the Gaza Strip extend to South Africa, 7,000 kilometers away. The country has made international headlines with its lawsuit against Israel for genocide. It has maintained close ties with the Palestinians since the era of Nelson Mandela and his fight against segregation. Behind the lawsuit, observers also saw the ruling party’s attempt to win votes for the election. With serious consequences for the country’s Jewish minority: they once fought against apartheid and now feel betrayed, as Alexander Kofler reports from Cape Town.
Followers of Zoroaster: Protected Minority in Iran
When people think of Zarathustra, many people think of Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophical work “Also Sprach Zarathustra,” which was published in 1889. The book has little to do with the Persian religion of the Zoroastrians. Its origins go back at least 3,500 years and it is still practiced today. Not only is there a large community of Zoroastrians in India, around 23,000 believers also live in Iran. They can practice their religion unhindered in the Islamic theocracy. Katharina Wagner visited her in Yazd, one of the oldest cities in Iran.
Following in Bruckner’s footsteps: composing at heavenly heights
What sounds romantic is now becoming reality for seven young musicians: On the occasion of 100 years of Linz’s Mariendom and 200 years of Anton Bruckner, the composition students can live in the tower room in the church tower and create a piece of music free from any distraction. The aim is to create a work that consists of the artists’ seven individual compositions and will be performed in the fall. Lisa Ganglbaur visited a composer high above the city.