Austrian Catholic activists criticize Pope's trip

By Boris Groendahl

VIENNA (Reuters) - Some Catholic Church activists in Austria accused Pope Benedict of devoting too little time to hear ordinary churchgoers' concerns during a visit starting on Friday and said he was risking losing more of his flock.

On his three-day visit Benedict will pray at a memorial for Jewish victims killed by the Nazi regime of his native Germany when it annexed Austria in 1938. He will also visit a Catholic shrine and deliver an address on global issues.

Austrians are mostly at least nominally Catholic but two-thirds said in an opinion poll they were either disappointed by the Church or indifferent to it.

"The situation screams for solutions," said Peter Hurka, spokesman for the We Are Church grassroots activist group.

"There will be only speeches, no discussions (during the visit). The Church is about to lose those under 50 years old. You can't pray away the problems."

Austria is a stronghold of We Are Church, which wants the Vatican to give women a greater role in the Church and to ordain married men so they can replenish the ranks of the priesthood.

Church experts say Austria could run out of priests as the present average age is 64.

Vienna Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn said the Pope's visit was not the right place to address "existing questions" and that it was more of an occasion for prayer and celebration.