Paneuropa Youth Chairman Philipp Jauernik at MKV Commemorative Mass for Victims of the Attack
The Secondary School Students’ Cartel Association (MKV) has strongly condemned the attack on All Souls’ Eve in Vienna and invited people to a commemorative mass for the victims. Philipp Jauernik, Chairman of Paneuropa Youth, also attended the mass in the parish of Vienna-Breitenfeld.
The Secondary School Students’ Cartel Association (MKV) commemorated the victims of the cowardly terrorist attack in the heart of Austria with a memorial service in the Breitenfeld parish (Vienna-Josefstadt). MKV Chairman Walter Gröblinger offered clear words on the matter: “There is nothing that justifies such an act. Many MKV members, especially our young members, were also in Schwedenplatz at the time and only escaped by sheer luck.”
The holy mass, which was scheduled exceptionally, was mainly attended by members of Catholic student fraternities. The initiative came from the chairmen of the Federal MKV, Walter Gröblinger, and the chairman of the Vienna City Association of the MKV, Peter Gülden. The two Catholic ‘Couleurstudenten’ aimed to send a clear signal against politically and religiously motivated violence in Austria.
Due to the prevailing coronavirus regulations, the MKV offered a livestream broadcast of the holy mass for the first time, which was accessed by dozens of people from all over Austria (and partly beyond). For Gröblinger, the high number of people connected via the internet also showed the extent of solidarity throughout the country with its federal capital. The celebrant was the Federal Chaplain of the MKV, Dean Gregor Jansen. Concelebrating alongside him was Father Vincenz Kleinelanghorst OCist, Chaplain of the Vienna City Association. The congregational singing, prohibited during the coronavirus period, was replaced by organ music (Benedikt Hansen) and cantors (Andreas Zenker, Severin Praßl-Wisiak, Philipp Landgraf) – the musicians are also members of Catholic student fraternities.
For Paneuropa Youth, Raphael Stangl lit a candle at the site of the attack. “In silent remembrance, for a Europe without hatred.”
For Markus Figl, District Mayor of Vienna’s city centre, which was affected by the attack, the joint mass represents a particularly beautiful sign of solidarity. “I most strongly condemn the attacks around the synagogue in Seitenstettengasse and the other locations in the Inner City,” said Figl. “My deepest sympathy goes out to the relatives of the victims and the injured. I express my explicit thanks to the emergency services, who performed extraordinarily, for their efforts in this challenging situation.”
As Figl’s representative, the newly elected district councillor for the Inner City, Philipp Jauernik, attended the mass. “The attack was nothing less than a cowardly assault on the lives of ordinary citizens. This is unacceptable, brutal, but ultimately ineffective. Freedom, the rule of law, and democracy will not disappear, because we will continue to defend and live this, our European Way of Life,” said Jauernik, who is also a member of the MKV association leadership and Federal Chairman of Paneuropa Youth Austria.
Instead of a sermon, several texts with impressions from the night of the attack were read aloud. The readers represented the breadth of Catholic student fraternities in Austria. One of the texts was read by Philipp Jauernik.
Praying for the Victims
“Religion and faith should serve people and offer hope. Religion must never be the justification for harming someone else,” said Gröblinger. Among the attendees at the mass, in the Breitenfeld parish, were several dozen ‘Couleurträger’ who prayed together for the victims. “An attack on All Souls’ Day is particularly painful. This day serves Christians to commemorate the deceased, which is why this attack on this day is especially abhorrent. At the same time, however, 2nd November is also a day of hope, as we Christians believe in life after death,” added the MKV Chairman.
For the celebrant of the mass, MKV Chaplain Gregor Jansen, the joint mass represents an important sign of solidarity: “I followed the news with horror on Monday. Through social media, I learned that some friends were in St. Rupert’s Church at the time of the attack and barricaded themselves there,” reported Jansen, who is also the parish priest in Breitenfeld. “Now, in the days that followed, the horror is still present. But we are firmly resolved not to let extremists destroy our lives. We stand together firmly and will do everything to ensure that our city remains a liveable place of peaceful, solidary coexistence.”
“Appalled by the events in our Vienna, I worry that in these difficult times we will drift even further apart socially,” said Peter Gülden, Chairman of the Vienna City Association of the MKV. “Although we must maintain physical distance from each other due to coronavirus, it is all the more important not to let a wedge be driven between us. Let us not give the perpetrator the attention he sought.”
MKV Youth Officer Wolf Steinhäusl also highlighted the civic courage: “Many people helped others in this difficult situation. Some risked their own lives, others helped by opening their homes or driving people home. I would like to express my thanks to all these people: all police officers, rescue workers, but also taxi drivers, hotel staff, and everyone else.”
Among the attendees at the mass was Lukas Mandl, MEP for Lower Austria. “Since time immemorial, Christians have sought peace – in their own lives and as peacemakers in the world. Let us, as Catholic ‘Couleurstudenten’, follow this tradition!” Mandl welcomed the MKV’s initiative.
Fight Against Terror
“The aim of this attack was to divide our society. We will not allow that,” Gröblinger stated clearly and became even more explicit: “Our enemy is solely and exclusively terror. Our society will not be divided. As much as this attack hurts, it will not achieve its goal!”
Feature image: c Stephan Schönlaub
