On January 14th at 12.30 p.m. on ORF 2
Vienna (OTS) – Judith Fürst will present the following articles in the ORF religious magazine “Orientation” on Sunday, January 14, 2024, at 12:30 p.m. on ORF 2:
Irritation and anger: Discussion about blessing “irregular” couples
Shortly before Christmas, the sensation seemed perfect: The Vatican, namely Pope Francis, allows the blessing of homosexual and “irregular” couples. In the meantime, however, there is a lack of understanding and anger. According to a recent explanation, the blessing may only last a maximum of 15 seconds, it should not be given in the sanctuary and the couples are not allowed to wear festive clothing. While those affected in Austria are irritated by the restrictions, Catholic bishops from African countries are protesting that blessing homosexuals and remarried people is now even permitted. Peter Beringer and Sandra Szabo report.
Second winter of war: fight for survival in Ukraine
These are the heaviest air strikes since the beginning of the war: Over the turn of the year, Russia bombed Ukraine with a massive use of missiles and drones. The focus is once again on civilian targets and the infrastructure in order to paralyze the country’s energy and power supply, especially in winter. The majority of the population is experiencing the second winter of war under catastrophic conditions: almost every second person is dependent on help and protection, especially women, children and older people. A team from the Austrian Caritas got an idea of the situation on site. Alexander Kofler was there.
Swiss study: Church abuse and its consequences
In September, a study shook the Catholic Church in Switzerland to its foundations. Historians at the University of Zurich had combed through archives and documented more than 1,000 cases of sexual abuse over the past 70 years, committed by Catholic priests, church employees and members of religious orders. It’s probably just the tip of the iceberg, as more victims have now come forward. The experts continue to research, church departures are reaching a new high, and the Swiss bishops are trying to limit the damage. Switzerland correspondent Marion Flatz-Mäser reports.
Sustainable cooperation: ORF and religions in exchange
General Director Roland Weißmann invited the representatives of the religious communities recognized in Austria to an exchange of ideas on the ORF. Currently, 19 regular radio and TV formats as well as the internet platform religion.ORF.at are produced in order to offer everyone in Austria a comprehensive range of programs in the areas of faith, spirituality and the search for meaning. The ORF’s religious and ethics offerings will be evaluated and further developed in exchange with representatives of religious communities. Marcus Marschalek reports on the meeting.