The rector of the Austrian Pilgrim Hospice in Jerusalem, Markus Stephan Bugnyar, has been temporarily relieved. “The accusation of serious misconduct against an employee” was made, it said on the homepage of the Archdiocese of Vienna.
Bugnyar should therefore be released until the allegations are “finally cleared up,” as the archdiocese says. To guarantee the continuity of the hospice, general director Lucas Maier will temporarily take over management.
“Be careful when dealing with the accusation”
With the exoneration, the archdiocese points out that it is “neither an acknowledgment of the misconduct nor an apportionment of blame to the hospice rector.” The archdiocese explicitly stated that the measure merely corresponds to the “necessary care in dealing with the accusation.”
At the same time, we asked for your understanding that “out of respect for the personal rights of all involved, no further information can be provided at this time.”
20 years in a management position
The Burgenland priest Markus Bugnyar (49) has been leading the “Austrian Pilgrim Hospice of the Holy Family in Jerusalem” since May 1, 2004. The pilgrim hostel with 124 beds, a chapel and its own “Café Triest” is located directly on the Via Dolorosa. Founded in 1854, it is the oldest national pilgrimage site in the Holy Land.
After a turbulent history, the building has been the property of the Catholic Church again since 1985. In 1988 it was reopened as a pilgrim hospice after renovation. However, the function of the guesthouse goes much further than its function as a pure pilgrim hostel. It is also positioned in Jerusalem as a cultural institution, educational institution and place of dialogue between cultures and religions. The Austrian Pilgrim Hospice is subordinate to the respective Archbishop of Vienna as its protector.
Source: Krone
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