Next Thursday, January 23, the former Eisenstadt bishop Paul Iby celebrates his 90th birthday. From 1993 to 2010 he was available to the Catholic Church in Burgenland. Iby was considered a balancing, dialogue -open bishop. This milestone birthday is celebrated with a thanksgiving service on January 23 (10.30 a.m.) in the Martins Cathedral, which Iby will stand up. The sermon will hold Bishop Aegidius Zsifkovics. Further celebrations are not planned, the diocese said on request. At www.martinus.at/bischofiby, congratulations can be sent to the jubilee online.
In an interview with the Burgendische “Kronenzeitung”, Iby showed himself to be bishop interested in innovation and dialogue. “I do not have the greatest joy with pious candles, but with iPads and headsets. I also read newspapers digitally. You have to go with time, otherwise you do not go over time. Many parishes are not more dead than alive”, So Iby, who is still active on today and takes care of the deaf pastoral of the diocese.
On January 23, 1935, Paul Iby was the second of three sons of a small farmer couple in the Middle Burgen Raiding. After the Matura in the Mattersburg booth seminar, he joined the seminar. After his ordination on June 29, 1959 and Kaplan years in Eisenstadt, he became a ceremonian of the administrator and later first bishop of Eisenstadt, Stephan Laszlo, as well as after his doctorate in 1967 at the Papal University of Gregoriana in Rome on a topic from the area of canon right Secretary (until 1974).
From his appointment as Eisenstadt Caritas Director – an office that Iby held from 1969 to 1977 – the winged word “Ubi Iby – Ibi Caritas” (“Where is Iby is, there is Caritas”). Iby was also head of the school office (1973-1985), Ordinariate Chancellor and from 1984 also Vicar General, before he was appointed Successor to the Eisenstadt diocesan bishop on December 28, 1992 by Pope John Paul II. The ordination in Eisenstadt followed on January 24, 1993, his motto was “Omnia in Caritate” (“Everything in love”).
The structure of living parishes, increased cooperation between priests and layers, ecumenism, concern for the ethnic groups in Burgenland and the strengthening of the educational mandate of the church became central concerns in his bishop's time. For example, he was committed to denominational schools and religion teacher training, built the Diocesan Women's Commission and installed the diocesan Ombudsman.
From the youth council to dialogue for Burgenland
Iby tried to realize the church to people as possible without barriers. One of the formative moments of his 18-year term included forums such as the youth council in 1997 and the “Dialog for Burgenland” initiated by the Bishop of Eisenstadt in 1999.
Further highlights were the survey of the pilgrimage church of Loretto to the “Basilica Minor”, the comprehensive renovation of the Martin dome in Eisenstadt and the expansion of the “House of Encounter” to the contemporary educational center of the diocese. A special day of joy for the Diocese of Eisenstadt was the beatification of Ladislaus Batthyany-Strattmann (1870-1931) on March 23, 2003 by John Paul II in Rome.
-One of the darkest days and weeks in Iby's tenure is the time after the deadly pipe bomb attack in the Oberwart Roma settlement in February 1995. After the attack, in which four people were murdered, Iby strengthened the church pastoral for the Roma and set its own Romase assistant.
“72 hours” and the youth letters
In the Austrian Bishops' Conference, Paul Iby was integrated from 1995 to 2003 “Youth Bishop” and in the Austria -wide “Dialog X”, which grew up for 72 hours without compromise “. This was followed by two youth letters, which were very noticeable in public, in which topics such as women in the church, celibacy, remarried divorced, love and sexual morality of the church came up. Iby also took part in the Catholic World Youth Days in Paris, Rome and Toronto.
From 1994, Iby was the first “environmental bishop” of Austria for three years. In addition, he was responsible for the Catholic Laienrat and the working group of Catholic associations as well as for pastoral care at the Roma and Sinti ethnic group in the Bishops' Conference. “The dignity of every person is inviolable – that must be our yardstick,” he emphasized again and again. His commitment contributed significantly to the fact that the concerns of the Roma were perceived more and their rights were protected.
In 2009 Pope Benedict XVI. Iby's request for cancellation made for reasons of age. Until his successor at the Eisenstadt Bishopshaf, Aegidius Zsifkovics in September 2009, Iby headed the diocese as an apostolic administrator. “His calm, thoughtful way and his sharp view for the challenges of the church made him an estimated voice that also belonged beyond the borders of the diocese,” he recognizes the diocese of Eisenstadt on the occasion of his birthday.
Quelle: kathpress
