Vienna receives its first mobile confessional: Cathedral priest Faber in an electric car!

Vienna receives its first mobile confessional: Cathedral priest Faber in an electric car!

It's a rainy Monday in Vienna, November 10, 2025, and Stephansplatz is pulsating. Deliveries and trucks are busy while the police keep an eye on the situation. Here, right next to the main portal of St. Stephen's Cathedral, the cathedral priest Toni Faber set up his first mobile confessional, located with the distinctive inscription: "The mobile confessional with Toni Faber". What's special: The confessional is a converted Kia PV 5 that is fully electric. A step to bring confession closer to people.

“We want to reach more people,” explains Faber. Confessions in St. Stephen's Cathedral are possible daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. But thanks to the mobile confessional, he can also be found this Monday at the Naschmarkt, on Mariahilfer Straße and in front of the university. A concept that not only preserves tradition, but also sets an example for climate change and the need for sustainability.

Electromobility and climate protection

Toni Faber plans to rely more on electromobility and already mainly uses public transport. Climate protection is an important concern for him, in the same spirit as Pope Francis and Pope Leo address in their messages. Photovoltaic systems are also used to generate electricity at the Archbishop's Palace. “My goal is to promote peace both with myself and with the environment,” emphasizes Faber.

Faber found a special supporter in Valentin Bontus, the Olympic kite surfing champion. Bontus, who acts as an advertising ambassador for Kia, shares the vision of a sustainable lifestyle. He prays the Lord's Prayer before competing in the Olympic finals and jokingly admits that he occasionally steals his wife's candy. “The fight against climate change is important,” he emphasizes.

Positive feedback and skepticism

The response to the mobile confessional has so far been consistently positive, even from those who are critical of church operations. This is what Siegfried Pohl, a passerby, says, who, despite his disappointment with the church, has a positive attitude towards the new concept. On the other hand, a tourist from Vorarlberg reports that she is skeptical about the voyeuristic approach.

In times when there is a lot of talk about change and innovation, Toni Faber's initiative shows that combining tradition and modernity can be a success. The mobile confessional could actually show a good hand for a new way of dealing with faith and community.