Bishop rides e-scooter through church at Confirmation Mass to ‘explain the Holy Spirit’

(LifeSiteNews) — An Austrian bishop drove an electric scooter through a church during a Confirmation Mass.

On Sunday, May 24, Bishop Ägidius Zsifkovics celebrated a Holy Mass and administered the Sacrament of Confirmation in Neckenmarkt, Austria. During the sermon, he got on an electric scooter and drove through the church. The scene was captured by a photographer and shared by ORF Burgenland on Instagram.

“I tried to make the sermon relevant to today’s world,” the bishop explained, referring to the unusual action. “I was told that the children here get around a lot on scooters. I just wanted to meet them where they are and try to explain the Holy Spirit to them using this modern mode of transportation.”

During the Confirmation ceremony in Neckenmarkt, Zsifkovics administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to 25 adolescents. Amid ongoing internal Church debates, the bishop expressed his hope that the Church would provide young people with support while remaining “credible.”

In the Austrian Church the case of Father Anton “Toni” Faber, who ignited scandal over his public appearances with a female partner, has recently stirred debate about mandatory priestly celibacy. When asked about the issue, Zsifkovics told ORF Burgenland, with reference to Eastern Catholics, that he thinks celibacy should be voluntary.

READ: Top Austrian priest to retire early after scandal over female companion

“Personally, I am not set in my ways on either side; rather, it should simply be a matter of choice, and everyone should be free to decide for themselves which way of life suits them best,” Zsifkovics stated.

When asked about Faber, the bishop said: “It is certainly good and important to remain credible and not to choose a parallel way of life.” Zsifkovics argued that Faber had always been a good chaplain who did things differently from others.

Faber had drawn international media attention for appearing at high-society events, such as the famous Vienna Opera Ball, with a blonde woman named Natalie Nemec accompanying him as his partner. Faber is one of the most famous priests in Austria and has been nicknamed “society Lion” for his frequent appearances at elite events.

After public backlash and complaints by faithful Catholics, it was announced this week that Faber will retire as chaplain of St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Austria’s most famous church, next year.