Fr Joachim Heimerl says Archbishop Josef Grünwidl of Vienna has imposed a “publication ban” on him under threat of suspension. In an interview with Stilum Curiae, the Austrian priest discusses the dispute, his understanding of priestly obedience, and why he believes the measure has no legal basis
Fr Joachim Heimerl, a priest of the Archdiocese of Vienna, has said that Archbishop Josef Grünwidl has imposed a “publication ban” on him.
In an interview with Marco Tosatti’s blog Stilum Curiae, the priest said the Archbishop sent “some letters that were not very friendly”. He said a recent letter informed him of a “publication ban” and warned that, if he did not comply, there would be “sanctions” that could even extend to “suspension”.
Fr Joachim Heimerl is a well-known Austrian priest who was ordained for the Archdiocese of Vienna in 2019. Before his ordination, he was a scholar of German studies and published a variety of works. Upon entering the priesthood, he initially planned to serve in a purely pastoral role. Having experienced serious health problems himself, he believed his vocation was to serve other sick people “as a sick priest”, he explains.
However, as his health further deteriorated, he was forced to withdraw from pastoral ministry. Since then, he says, his role as a priest “has been limited to prayer and Holy Mass”, which he celebrates exclusively in private in his home chapel.
From this isolation, Fr Heimerl began writing for various Catholic outlets, including Die Tagespost and kath.net. Initially, his articles focused more on cultural commentary, and he cites his tribute to the opera singer Maria Callas as his finest piece. He subsequently turned his attention to the state of the modern Church. Since early 2024, he has written columns for LifeSite that have proved particularly contentious. In November 2024, he published an article entitled Pope Francis leads a ‘magisterium of lies and heresy’ with his ‘Pseudo Synod’, followed in January 2025 by From the ashes of the ‘Bergoglian church’ the Catholic Church will rise again.
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Read some of Fr. Heimerl’s past publications.