As the OÖN reported, the 13 parishes of the Frankenmarkt deanery will become one large parish. The merger process, which is also being carried out in the other deaneries, has been ongoing for more than a year. The aim is a pastoral concept that defines the cooperation of the 13 communities.
Actually, the new large parish should have been legally valid on January 1st. But that has now been delayed because the dean’s office has made a request to reverse the merger. “Parish members have the opportunity to do this,” says Michael Kraml, press spokesman for the diocese. “Just as in state proceedings, this is also common and legal in church proceedings.” The diocese does not announce who is once morest the reform.
Canon law experts in the Vatican will now decide whether the objection is justified. Until then, the entry into force of the reform will be suspended. “Work on the merger can continue in the meantime,” said Kraml. Of the 108 parishes in the diocese that are to be merged, eight parishes have objections to it.
