Militant clergyman advocates for hobby hunters

A dedicated «parish priest» for hobby hunters exists in Linz.

The «priest» Franz Salcher (66), appointed by Bishop Manfred Scheuer for this role, serves as the primary contact person for 20’000 hobby hunters in Upper Austria in matters of pastoral care. “Topics such as creation, respect for nature and the responsible stewardship of the cultural landscape, which also includes the taking of animals, move me deeply,” Salcher explained.

Killing as a «matter of course»?

The harvesting of animals is among the self-evident duties of the hobby hunter, so that the plant world, the forest and the animal world remain in balance, the newly appointed hunting chaplain stated on record. “For centuries, humans have helped shape nature. It is their task to intervene.” Properly understood, hobby hunting also corresponds to Pope Francis’s guidelines for viewing creation as a “common home,” under whose roof humans and nature live together. The fact that hobby hunting fails as a means of population control, the «priest» conveniently ignores.

From the seminary to the hunting grounds

As the son of a farmer and hobby hunter, Salcher has been connected to hobby hunting all his life. He passed his hunting examination during his time at the seminary, but only became an active hobby hunter when he was a parish priest in Gaflenz (Steyr-Land district). When he later took over the Linz parishes of Guter Hirte and St. Franziskus, this passion had to be put on hold for an extended period. Five years ago, the «priest» leased his own hunting ground in his home village of Kleinreifling. Hunting takes him “away from everyday concerns,” as every stalking trip is “an experience” that brings him closer to God, according to a press release from «Katholiken».

Mass stupefaction in Austria. The Animal welfare problems of recreational hunting cannot be dismissed with religious rhetoric.