Vitus Huonder on the way to mass in April
Keystone
Vitus Huonder, the controversial Bishop of Chur, has retired after almost 12 years in the job. Pope Francis has appointed Peter Bürcher, previously the bishop of Reykjavik, as apostolic administrator in Chur.
Throughout his career Huonder, 77, has found himself at the centre of several media controversies, notably in 2015 when he quoted Bible passages calling for gays to be put to death. Previously he had also attracted criticism over opposing sex education in schools and women priests, and for believing that divine rights should come before human rights.
The diocese of Chur, the capital of canton Graubünden in eastern Switzerland, announced on Monday that the Pope had finally accepted Huonder’s resignation. Huonder said in 2017 that he wanted to stand down, but Rome rejected his wish twice.
The diocese of Chur extends over Switzerland’s most populous canton, Zurich.
Peter Bürcher, 73, left Reykjavik in 2015 after developing a severe case of pneumonia. He said in a statement on Monday that his appointment was a “total surprise”. He said that at his age he was hoping for a bit of rest, “but the pope had other ideas”. He is expected to act as interim in Chur, with all the rights and duties of a bishop, for a couple of months.
Also on Monday the bishopric of Chur announced the death on Sunday of Huonder’s predecessor, Amédée Grab, at the age of 89.
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History
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In his 50-minute address on marriage at a forum in Germany on August 2, Huonder quoted two verses from the book of Leviticus, including Leviticus 20:13: “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood…
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In a joint statement the priest, Wendelin Bucheli, and the vicar general of Chur, Martin Grichting, wrote that Bucheli regretted that “many people had been hurt” because of the blessing. He also regretted causing the Bishop of Chur Vitus Huonder “inconvenience” during his work in a community in canton Uri, central Switzerland. Grichting had been…
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“The ten commandments were never popular either,” Huonder said in an interview published in Le Matin Dimanche and the Sonntagszeitung. He said the Church had never followed the times. Huonder said the aim of his letter had been to help divorced and remarried people, but added “it is my duty to remind them of the…
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Gmür told the SonntagsZeitung newspaper that “teaching about human sexuality is the job of the school. It shouldn’t be relinquished”. Gmür, a member of the liberal wing of Switzerland’s Roman Catholic church, was responding to a letter from Huonder on the occasion of Human Rights Day on Saturday. In the letter, the bishop of Chur…
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There is concern that the choice of Vitus Huonder, a former close aide to a controversial ultraconservative church leader, could create tensions within the Catholic community. Several groups have called on him to show openness towards all movements with the Catholic Church, while the Swiss Bishops Conference welcomed Huonder and assured him of their support.…
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