Pastor Ludwig Scheiel will retire at the end of August. In the interview he takes stock and reports on his state of health after his severe heart attack.
- The date for the retirement of the Gaißach pastor Ludwig Scheiel was fixed for a long time, only the circumstances are now different than hoped due to his severe heart attack.
- He was pastor in Gaißach for 20 years and has changed a lot in the community during this time.
- After his departure, the pastor's position will no longer be filled. The parish community Gaißach-Reichersbeuern is also looked after by the dean from Dietramszell.
Gaißach - After 20 years in Gaißach, Monsignor Ludwig Scheiel will retire at the end of August. The date was planned for a long time - only the circumstances are different than hoped. Because in November the leader of the parish community Gaißach-Reichersbeuern suffered a serious heart attack - it was his second - and has been on sick leave since then. In the meantime, however, he is on the mend and has returned to the Gaißach rectory. On his departure, Scheiel takes stock in an interview.
First of all, the most important question: How are you?
I can say: I'm doing very well. I am in no pain, I can get up every morning, dress myself, eat and drink whatever I want, can drive a car, and am mentally fit. I am aware that other people are worse off - despite the limitation with my artificial heart that I now have for life.
Heart attack has changed perspective on life
What's it all about?
My heart was so devastated by my most recent heart attack that it cannot be restored. A transplant was not possible. There was only the possibility of installing a kind of circulation pump in my chest, which now pumps the blood through my body with constant pressure. Outside of the body, I carry the batteries and the control computer in a bag. The doctor says the most important thing is that I accept the device for myself, then I will enjoy a relatively large amount of freedom again.
What did such a serious illness humanly do to you?
In the first six months you are completely fixated on your body: “Now I can get up again, now I can walk ten steps again, now I can walk without a walker for the first time.” When the body is working again, then you think about how it is Perspective on life has changed. What seems so important to many people today - you have to be productive at work, ideally still do sports after work, and you just can't just sit there for five minutes and look at nature - that takes a back seat. I can just live, I can get up in the morning and see that it is raining or the sun is shining, hear the birds singing. This is what I am enjoying now. The fact that I'm on sick leave and will soon retire is an additional relief.
What is your impression: In what condition do you leave the parish community?
When I came here 20 years ago, the parishes of Gaißach, Reichersbeuern and Greiling were still very priest-oriented. We have now built up a lot of independence in the communities. I introduced acolytes, for example, and in 2004 I trained and introduced the first word worship leaders. Many decisions were transferred to the parish council and church administration. It wasn't easy at first.
In what way?
When I came here, I was surprised at how conservative the churches were. It wasn't easy for people to follow new paths, but we followed them from the start.
Paper from Rome "is completely the wrong way"
And what future is the parish community facing now?
It has long been clear that the parish association is no longer looked after by its own pastor, but by the dean in Dietramszell. This is the case now during my illness and will continue to do so from September. Much already works well on the independent feet of the community. One is happy when a pastor or deacon is present at the service, but the laity can also do it alone. It is a specialty that as a pastor I have allowed and encouraged this, there is a lot of trust in the volunteer work. Actually, we had imagined that we would strengthen the lay work even more, but unfortunately that has now been stalled by the new paper from the Vatican. Rome writes that only Catholic priests are allowed to assume leadership positions in the congregations and that there must not be a leadership team of lay people. From my point of view this is completely the wrong way to go.
How do you rate it when a parish no longer has a pastor and the lay people take on many tasks?
At the moment it is of course rather negative for the parish not to have a pastor. On the other hand, the work of the laity should not be seen as something that happens out of need, but that follows the example of Jesus, the Church of Jesus Christ. Gifts of grace have been given to everyone, everyone can and must contribute something. The structures of the official church were not created until Augustine in the 4th century. We should remember what Jesus Christ, our Founder, wanted. He had as many women as men around him. Jesus treated women very differently and valued them more than was generally the case before. We as a church have to go back there. Women must have access to the liturgy. There can be no difference.
"The Church has a lot of potential and strength in it"
In what state do you see the church as a whole - in a time of people leaving the church and abuse scandals?
The church has become more secular. For a long time she was strongly focused on liturgical solemnity, on feasts, forms and rituals. But church doesn't just mean celebrating Michaelmas and Corpus Christi. The mountain rifleman alone is of no use if he does not live his faith in everyday life away from the procession and without clothing. We have to learn to bring faith and the world together. And that is only possible if I don't reject the world, but accept it as it is. The church, too, moves in this world; it has its scandals, weaknesses and needs. We haven't really learned to deal with this worldly upheaval. But even today the church has a lot of power and potential within it. There are believers in abundance, and they draw strength from faith in order to get through life. But people believe differently than they did 20 or 30 years ago.
Was it actually your conscious decision to come to Gaißach 20 years ago?
No it was not. In May 2000 I wanted to get out of the administration. Out of five free parishes, I chose Gaißach, although I hadn't known Gaißach and the Oberland up until then. I was attracted to the task of building up the parish association. Some said to me: It will not be easy, this is a self-confident breed.
"If you were not born here, you cannot become a 'Goassara'"
And did that come true?
We found each other very well. In the beginning my thirst for action was slowed down, on the other hand I tickled some out of their mouse holes. If you weren't born here, you can't become a “Goassara”, but I am accepted and like to live here with the people. The parting will be very hard. For me, it's not about the beautiful landscape, but about the people with whom I have lived and worked here.
What was particularly nice about your time here?
The festivals we were allowed to celebrate, ecclesiastical and secular. The 1200th anniversary of Gaißach, that was a highlight. You can feel that the people stand behind their villages. This solidarity and cooperation impressed me.
One topic that did not develop the way you would have liked was the future of Reutberg Monastery. How do you assess the events in retrospect?
The question was: How will the monastery continue? And what about the surrounding parish associations when there are fewer and fewer priests and full-time employees? We were a small group that wanted to bring both together, with Reutberg as the pastoral center for the surrounding parish associations. This would also have repaired the monastery building by the diocese. There were long arguments - until suddenly the decision came from the Vatican: The monastery remains independent and the ordinariate has no planning access. The diocese then withdrew and will no longer be involved here. Unfortunately, there will remain a parallel life between the monastery and the deanery. The monastic life in Reutberg will die, it cannot be stopped. Unfortunately. This is a shame for Sachsenkam, because the place does not live from the brewery, but from the spirituality of the monastery.
What are your retirement plans?
My sister and I move to Reitmehring near Wasserburg, my birthplace. Practically all of our relatives are gathered there. I actually wanted to help out there in the parish. Now we will see what is still possible. At the moment I am celebrating church services with the poor school sisters in Bad Tölz so that I don't forget how to celebrate. I hope that I will be physically strong enough to go on short hikes again. I would also like to deal more with agricultural issues again. Our entire climate and environmental problem stands or falls with rural agriculture. Our lifestyle goes beyond what nature has to offer. I would like to see how this can be brought into balance and possibly get involved in appropriate groups. Otherwise, I've learned to let the day come and see what is possible.
Festival services
Farewell to Pastor Scheiel will be celebrated on Sunday, August 30th, in Reichersbeuern (at the village park, in bad weather in the church) and on Sunday, September 6th, in Gaißach (at or in the gym).
