As of: January 29, 2024, 6:00 a.m
By: Daniela Oldach
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Last escort for a special person: The burial of Pastor Franz Gasteiger in St. Peter Wörth was a surprise to many, but the large number of mourners was not.
© Clarissa Höschel
The final journey of retired pastor Franz Gasteiger caused great sympathy.
Many people wanted to say goodbye to a special person at the requiem in Erding and the funeral in Wörth.
Erding/Wörth
– The death of Pastor Franz Gasteiger caused widespread consternation and great sympathy.
The funeral took place on Saturday in the St. Peter cemetery in Wörth, after which many people said goodbye to the retired pastor (83) at a requiem in the parish church of St. Johannes in Erding.
Among other things, he left a deep mark as an airport chaplain and in Erdingen geriatric care facilities.
“You have to like people.” With this motto from Dr.
Franz Gasteiger began the service for the pastor who died on January 8th in Erding.
Airport priest Franz Kohlhuber in particular found moving words, but also told anecdotes and amusing things.
“Today he is just Franz, a confidant, a friend.
And not the Dr.
“Gasteiger,” said Kohlhuber to the numerous mourners.
They all testified to the extremely great popularity of “Franz”, whose coffin was in the church.
And so it was a two-hour mass, in which, alongside all the sadness, there was also laughter.
For example, when Kohlhuber said that two wills had been found in Franz's estate.
The first paper dates back to the 1970s.
It was written there that he doesn't want to be the center of attention.
“Have a service that even a 16-year-old apprentice would feel comfortable with,” the deceased put it.
About a decade later, he wanted some friends to come.
“And greet everyone,” he also said.
City priest Martin Garmaier reported on the anointing of the sick, which he had to carry out due to the severity of the burns on the deceased's feet.
Gasteiger and his companion were seriously injured in a Christmas tree fire at home in Schwaig.
The forehead and hands are common for anointing.
“But it is our feet that carry us,” said Garmaier, and so this moment also became something special.
Franz's last words were to make a difference in heaven too.
One person who was closely associated with the deceased for many years is Heribert Prantl.
The former member of the SZ editorial team talked about a Christmas visit from Franz almost ten years ago.
The angels were discussed.
And he now took harsh measures against these ambassadors of God who were so loving in public.
They are “not a heavenly intervention group”: “Where were the angels with Franz on the evening of his death?
This question hurts, it can drive you crazy.”
According to Prantl, an angel can be “anyone.
You're very lucky if you have a friend like him.
He was a messenger of humanity.
Thank you dear Franz, thank you for everything,” he concluded.
Franz Gasteiger was then buried in Wörth.
The entire funeral was recorded on video so that she could later watch her long-time companion Christine Nußhart, who was fighting for her life in the Murnau accident clinic.