Love wounds. The experience of the Via Crucis with queer people in the Austrian diocese of Vienna and Linz
Article published on the Catholic portal Religion.orf.at(Austria) On March 5, 2024, freely translated from Innocenzo Pontillo
With the title "Love wounds"(Wounds of Love/Wunden der Liebe), the Catholic and Protestant groups of Vienna and Linz (Austria) have organized a via Crucis with the queer people. The meditations of the Via Crucis are in the Catholic Church one of the classic prayer devotions of the pre-beam period.
"In this particular case, the meditation of the Via Crucis of Jesus, which will lead him to the place of his execution on Mount Golgota, will be told through the experiences of the queer and their family members", as the diocese of Linz writes in a press release. The stations of the Via Crucis "Love wounds" took place on 11 March 2024 in the Viennese parish of Breitenfeld (Uhlplatz), starting at 18:30 and 20 March at 19:00 in the Orsoline church in Linz.
The organized liturgical celebrations of the Catholic youth have based on the meditations written by the young Italian writer Luigi Testa, collected in his book entitled "Via Crucis of a gay boy"(Kreuzweg Eines Schwulen Jungen, Edizioni Castelvecchi, 2024), because as a person part of the LGBTQ community, according to the press release of the diocese, offers "authentic and strong words on the classic stations of the Via Crucis of Jesus".
In search of Jesus
Despite the constant condemnation, exclusion and refusal to which queer people are also subjected in churches and by the representatives, their wounds inspired Luigi Testa to write "Powerful and touching texts", Who were listened to in their German translation in the Via Crucis"Wounds of Love"That was held in Vienna and Linz.
"Many times, I felt like wondering - at the beginning it annoyed me, in the chats, then you get used to it, and maybe I started asking for him too - "What are you looking for?". Fun? Sex? A serious thing? But the right question is "Who are you looking for?". Because even when I am looking for something - even when I am looking for only one night or an evening company - in reality, Jesus, you know, I'm looking for someone“, Writes Luigi Testa in his"Via Crucis of a gay boy".
Catholic and Protestant associations
This via Crucis is an initiative that has been desired by several ecclesial groups engaged in the diocese of Vienna and Linz. The project was involved in the project (Archdiocese of Vienna), the rainbow pastoral care of Linz, the Catholic youth university of Vienna, the Protestant University Community and also the Protestant association "Evanqueer" for the queer employees of the Protestant Churches.
Original text: OBSERT. Kreuzweg Für Queere Menschen in Wien und Linz
