Today, on the Feast of the Epiphany, another courageous bishop joins the ranks of those six other prelates who have already signed the declaration of the three bishops of Kazakhstan professing the immutable truths about sacramental marriage and opposes the altering — or softening — of the Church’s teaching concerning the possible admittance of the “remarried” divorcees to the Sacraments. Bishop emeritus Andreas Laun, formerly the Auxiliary Bishop of Salzburg, Austria, has given his public support for this declaration of loyalty toward Christ’s Teaching on Marriage. Bishop Athanasius Schneider, one of the original signatories, confirmed the addition of Laun’s name in support of the document.

Bishop Laun also signed the Filial Appeal published in 2016, which included the signatures of “thousands of concerned bishops, priests and Catholic faithful declaring their fidelity to the unchangeable teachings of the Church on marriage and Her uninterrupted discipline.”

In December of 2016, Bishop Laun granted Onepeterfive an interview in which he then defended the four dubia cardinals for having written and published their questions concerning Pope Francis’ document on marriage, Amoris Laetitia. Of that effort, Laun said:

I have read the concerns of the Four Cardinals, and I agree with them! Additionally, I know personally especially Cardinals Meisner and Caffarra and know how competent they are! With them, I am in the best company! […] The conduct of the [dubia] cardinals is a service to the teaching of the Church! In history, there are many examples of criticism also of a pope. However, it has to follow the “morality of criticism”: that is, to say it politely, objectively, justly, born in love, and with much understanding for the one who is to be criticized because each criticism also hurts more or less.

The addition of Bishop Laun brings the number of apostolic successors in support of the Declaration of Truth about Marriage to seven — six bishops and one cardinal.