Vienna, Austria, Aug 11, 2004 / 22:00 pm
The Austrian seminary that has been embroiled in a child pornography scandal was shut down this morning by Bishop Klaus Küng, the papal emissary sent to investigate the scandal.
In remarks broadcast on TV, Bishop Küng said that his investigation into the seminary in the Austrian diocese of St. Poelten revealed that those responsible “paid too little attention to selection procedures,” and therefore had admitted too many inadequate candidates.
He expressed his regrets that the seminary had lost track of it’s mission to train young men to serve the Catholic Church.
“A new beginning is necessary,” he said. “I am closing the seminary right away.”