Switzerland: A Second “Married” Priest Has Died
In the notice Ida Waber-Arberg* identifies as his “wife” and bids farewell “to my husband.” She uses Waber's surname with her hyphenated maiden name as it is the custom in Switzerland for married couples.
Among the surviving relatives of the defunct are two Dominican sisters. The body of the defunct was cremated, the funeral will be private.
According to the German speaking part of the official homepage of the Swiss Bishops’ it turns out that Waber was a priest. The webpage published his death notice calling him “Father Peter X. Waber.”
At his retirement, Waber moved to Sankt Gallen and lived in the house where Ida grew up. In the town, Ida was known as Waber's housekeeper. In 2018, Waber celebrated his golden jubilee as a priest while still helping out in the local parish. Chur diocese, Waber's home diocese, announced his passing on June 4 presenting him as a priest of the diocese and indicating "Ida Waber-Arberg" as the reference address.
This is the second case of a “married” priest in Switzerland within weeks.
* Names changed.
Picture: Memento Mori © wikicommons, CC BY-SA, #newsGgxakaeerb
