Christoph Schönborn | |
|---|---|
| Cardinal,Archbishop emeritus of Vienna | |
 Cardinal Schönborn in 2020 | |
| Archdiocese | Vienna |
| See | Vienna |
| Appointed | 13 April 1995 (Coadjutor) |
| Installed | 14 September 1995 |
| Term ended | 22 January 2025 |
| Predecessor | Hans Hermann Groër |
| Successor | Josef Grünwidl |
| Other posts | |
| Previous posts |
|
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 27 December 1970 by Franz König |
| Consecration | 29 September 1991 by Hans Hermann Groër |
| Created cardinal | 21 February 1998 byJohn Paul II |
| Rank | Cardinal Priest |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1945-01-22)22 January 1945 (age 80) |
| Nationality | Austrian |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| Parents | Hugo-Damian,Graf von Schönborn,Eleonore Schönborn |
| Motto | Vos autem dixi amicos (I have called you friends) —John 15:15 |
| Coat of arms |  |
| Styles of Christoph Schönborn | |
|---|---|
| |
| Reference style | His Eminence |
| Spoken style | Your Eminence |
| Religious style | His Eminence |
| Informal style | Cardinal |
| See | Vienna |
Christoph Maria Michael Hugo Damian Peter Adalbert Schönborn,OP (German:[ˈkrɪstɔfˈʃøːnbɔrn];[1] born 22 January 1945) is aBohemian-bornAustrian Catholic prelate who served asArchbishop of Vienna from 1995 until 2025. He was chairman of theAustrian Bishops' Conference from 1998 to 2020 and was made acardinal in 1998. He is a member of theDominican Order.
Schönborn is Grand Chaplain of theOrder of the Golden Fleece (Austrian branch), of which he has been a member since 1961. He is also a member of the formerly sovereignHouse of Schönborn, several members of which held high offices of theHoly Roman Empire and theCatholic Church asprince-bishops,prince-electors and cardinals.
Schönborn was born atSkalka Castle, west ofLitoměřice inBohemia (then part ofSudetenland, a Nazi-annexed territory ofCzechoslovakia, now part of theCzech Republic), the second son of Count Hugo-Damian von Schönborn (1916–1979), and his wife, BaronessEleonore Ottilie Hilda Maria von Doblhoff.[2] By birth, he is a member of an ancient GermanHouse of Schönborn whose members have historically borne the title ofImperial Count and thestyle ofIllustrious Highness. Several members of the Schönborn family held high offices in the Catholic Church and, since the 17th century, theHoly Roman Empire, including severalprince-bishops,cardinals and ecclesiasticalprince-electors.[3] One family member wasFranziskus von Paula Graf von Schönborn,Cardinal-archbishop of Prague. When aristocratic titles were abolished in theFirst Czechoslovak Republic, after its independence in 1918, just as in Austria, his father officially lost his title of count, although titles continue to be used privately.
During the war, his father Hugo Damian was involved in the anti-Nazi resistance.[4] Following the German withdrawal from Czechoslovakia at the end ofWorld War II, Bohemia's German-speaking population, especially the nobility, was persecuted by the new rulers, first byEdvard Beneš' post-war nationalist government and then by the newStalinist regime, and the family fled to Austria in 1945.[5][6] His parents divorced in 1959.[7] He has two brothers and one sister; his brotherMichael Schönborn is an actor. He grew up inSchruns in western Austria, close to the border of the Swiss canton ofGraubünden. Parts of his family live in France.[8]
Growing up inVorarlberg, Schönborn speaks theVorarlberg dialect as well asSwiss German in addition toStandard German.[9] In addition to his native German, Schönborn is fluent in French and Italian, and proficient in English, Spanish andLatin.[10] He lived for several years in France and Switzerland.[6]
He is a direct descendant of the Duchess of BohemiaSaint Ludmilla (860Mělník – 921 Tetín).[11]
In September 1945, his family was forced to flee from Bohemia. Schönborn took hisMatura examination in 1963, and entered theOrder of Preachers. He studiedtheology in Paris; and philosophy andpsychology inBornheim-Walberberg and Vienna. Schönborn also attended theCatholic Institute of Paris for further theological work, before studying Slavic andByzantine Christianity at theSorbonne.[citation needed]
Schönborn wasordained to the priesthood by CardinalFranz König on 27 December 1970 in Vienna. He obtained aLicentiate of Sacred Theology in 1971, and later studied inRegensburg underFr. Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI). He subsequently completed adoctorate in Sacred Theology in Paris. From 1975 he was Professor ofDogmatics at theUniversity of Fribourg, Switzerland. In 1980, he became a member of theInternational Theological Commission of theHoly See, and in 1987 he became editorial secretary for theCatechism of the Catholic Church. In 1991 he was chosen to become anauxiliary bishop of Vienna.[12][13] Since 1996 Schönborn is the bishop responsible for the DominicanCommunity of the Lamb.[14]
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Schönborn was appointedCoadjutor Archbishop of Vienna on 11 April 1995 and succeeded asArchbishop of Vienna on 14 September 1995. He was createdcardinal priest ofGesù Divin Lavoratore byPope John Paul II in theconsistory of 21 February 1998. Considered among thepapabili following John Paul's death, Cardinal Schönborn was one of thecardinal electors who participated in the2005 papal conclave that selectedPope Benedict XVI, and in the2013 papal conclave that selectedPope Francis.
He became chairman of theAustrian Bishops Conference in 1998 when he was elected to the first of four six-year terms.[15]
Schönborn served as a member of theCongregation for the Doctrine of the Faith,that for the Oriental Churches, andthat for Catholic Education, and of thePontifical Council for Culture and thePontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church. On 5 January 2011 he was appointed among the first members of the newly createdPontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation.[16] On 30 November 2013,Pope Francis confirmed Cardinal Schönborn as a Member of the Education Congregation.[17]
Schönborn also serves as the Grand Chaplain to the AustrianOrder of the Golden Fleece. Schönborn'sepiscopal motto isVos autem dixi amicos (I have called you friends) fromJohn 15:15. Hiscoat of arms as archbishop and cardinal includes in its uppersinister field the family arms of theSchönborn family.
Schönborn presided over theFuneral of Otto von Habsburg, former Crown Prince ofAustria-Hungary, inSt. Stephen's Cathedral on 16 July 2011.[18]
On 18 September 2012, Schönborn was named by Pope Benedict XVI as a Synod Father for the October 2012 13th Ordinary General Assembly of theSynod of Bishops on the New Evangelization.[19]
Schönborn visited Iran in February 2001 and met with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Schönborn was one of the highest-ranked Catholic Church officials to visit the country since the 1980–88Iran–Iraq War.[20]
Schönborn has been described as an accomplishedcrisis manager.[21] He had a close relationship withPope Benedict XVI, whom he knew for decades, and has been referred to as Benedict's "spiritual son".[22]
On 1 December 2017, Schönborn presided over an interconfessional prayer service entitledMozart Requiem in his cathedral church forWorld AIDS Day. The event was co-hosted by the LGBT activistGery Keszler [DE].[23]
On 1 December 2018, he invited in the St. Stephen's Cathedral arock ensemble to perform a flamboyant play calledJedermann (reloaded), which was based on the early 20th-century playof that name byHugo von Hofmannsthal.[24]
In May 2010 Schönborn told the Austrian Catholic news agency Kathpress, "the days of cover-up are over. For a long while the Church's principle of forgiveness was falsely interpreted and was in favour of those responsible and not the victims," while praisingPope Benedict XVI for having pushed for sex abuse inquiries when he was a Cardinal. Schönborn has earned much recognition[25] for his handling of the abuse scandal surrounding his predecessor as Vienna ArchbishopHans Hermann Groër, who was removed from office in 1995. In 1998, Schönborn publicly confirmed that he believed in the allegations against Groër.[10] In 2010, he explained that the future Pope Benedict XVI had long pressed for a full investigation of the case, but met resistance in the Vatican at the time.[26] A sex abuse victims group named him as one of two promising cardinals they saw as good candidates for the papacy in 2013.[27]
In January 2009,Gerhard Maria Wagner was appointed byPope Benedict XVI, without consultation with the Austrian bishops' conference, as anauxiliary bishop ofLinz, Austria. Wagner was known for highly conservative views, in particular for blaming theHurricane Katrina on the sins of theNew Orleans' homosexuals and abortionists. Wagner's appointment generated widespread protests in Austria and a boycott by many priests of the Linz diocese. Schönborn quickly joined the public criticism of the appointment.[28] Schönborn made an emergency trip to Rome and in mid-February 2009 Wagner was thus persuaded to resign his post at Linz.[29]
As the Archbishop of Vienna and the head of the Catholic Church in Austria, Schönborn has faced an open and highly publicized rebellion by a movement of Austrian dissident clergy known as thePfarrer Initiative orParish priests' Initiative. The group, formed in 2005, and comprising about 10% of the Austrian clergy, has been publicly advocating a number of radical religious reforms, such as ordination of women, allowing priests to marry, allowing divorced Catholics and non-Catholic Christians to receive communion, and others.[30] In 2011 the Pfarrer Initiative attracted considerable attention with the publication of the group's manifesto called "Call to Disobedience".[30] Cardinal Schönborn met with the supporters of the Pfarrer Initiative, but in June 2012 he publicly reaffirmed the official position of the Vatican on the issues raised by the dissident group and directed that no priest expressing support for the "Call to Disobedience" be allowed to hold any administrative post in the Austrian Catholic Church.[31] In September 2012 Schönborn again "backed celibacy for priests, limiting ordination to men and preserving marriage as a life-long commitment" and reiterated a warning to the dissident clergy that they faced serious consequences if they continued to advocate disobedience to the Vatican.[32]
Schönborn has been described as a "conciliatory pragmatist who is open to dialogue".[33]
On 1 December 2018, he allowed a controversial rock performance to take place inSt. Stephen Cathedral to raise money for HIV patients.[34][35] The event was held to benefit theBrotherhood of Blessed Gérard, a hospice inSouth Africa run by the Sovereign Military Order of Malta for people dying of AIDS.[36] The previous year, Schönborn, the Order of Malta, andGery Keszler's LGBT Life Ball organized a Mass to rememberWorld Aids Day.[37]Conchita Wurst was invited to speak in that occasion.[38][39]
Schönborn is a member of theElijah Interfaith Institute Board of World Religious Leaders.[40]
In May 2017, Schönborn published an approbation in regards to theOrthodox Rabbinic Statement on Christianity entitledTo Do the Will of Our Father in Heaven: Toward a Partnership between Jews and Christians which was published two years beforehand by theIsrael-basedCenter for Jewish–Christian Understanding and Cooperation (CJCUC).[41]
In 2006, Schönborn published an article on the relationship between Catholicism and Islam, noting that both are missionary religions and interfaith dialogue is often seen as an alternative to the missionary impulse. He advised that dialogue focus on "How is mission situated in respect of freedom of conscience and of religion? How is it situated in respect of the requirements of a plural world?", while addressing "openly the dangers of intolerance, of attacks on religious freedom".[42] When news outlets reported in 2016 that he had warned of "an Islamic conquest of Europe",[43] Schönborn pointed out that he had asked the question "Will there be an Islamic conquest of Europe?" in a sermon that identified Europe with theprodigal son in Luke's gospel who has squandered his inheritance. He argued that if Islam stood to gain it was because "We ourselves are therefore those that have brought the Christian inheritance of Europe into peril." He objected to any reading of his words as an attack on refugees. He wrote: "Europe's Christian legacy is in danger, because we Europeans have squandered it. That has absolutely nothing to do with Islam nor with the refugees. It is clear that many Islamists would like to take advantage of our weakness, but they are not responsible for it. We are."[44][45]
In a September 2015 interview, he said that the Church's ministers should recognise what is good where it is found. For example, he said, a civil marriage is better than simply living together, because it signifies a couple has made a formal, public commitment to one another. "Instead of talking about everything that is missing, we can draw close to this reality, noting what is positive in this love that is establishing itself." Schönborn described a gay friend of his who, after many temporary relationships, is now in a stable relationship. "It's an improvement. They share a life, they share their joys and sufferings, they help one another. It must be recognised that this person took an important step for his own good and the good of others, even though it certainly is not a situation the Church can consider 'regular'." The Church's negative "judgment about homosexual acts is necessary, but the Church should not look in the bedroom first, but in the dining room! It must accompany people." He said that pastoral accompaniment "cannot transform an irregular situation into a regular one, but there do exist paths for healing, for learning", for moving gradually closer to a situation in compliance with Church teaching.[46]
In 2021, Schönborn said he cannot deny same-sex couples a blessing if they request one and that he was "not happy" with the Vatican's mid-March statement on same-sex unions.[47] In September 2024, when asked aboutFiducia supplicans Schönborn said he believed the document showed "confusion on the part of the Church."[48]
In 1996, Schönborn told an Austrian television audience that someone suffering from AIDS might use a condom as a "lesser evil", but he quickly cautioned, "no one could affirm that the use of a condom is the ideal in sexual relations".[49]
In 2024, when asked about the 2021 motu proprioTraditionis custodes that placed restrictions on use of theTridentine Mass, Schönborn said that he hoped that the "new generation" might "easily" move from the 'TLM to modern movements and "prayer groups" such as theEmmanuel Community, adding "Let us accept that Francis has his reasons for closing the doors again, at least partially, just as we have accepted thatBenedict XVI had his reasons for opening them. Let us trust that the Lord is leading the Church."[50]
In an opinion piece that appeared inThe New York Times on 7 July 2005,[51] Schönborn accepted the possibility ofevolution but criticised certain"neo-Darwinian" theories as incompatible with Catholic teaching:
Evolution in the sense of common ancestry might be true, but evolution in the neo-Darwinian sense – an unguided, unplanned process ofrandom variation andnatural selection – is not. Any system of thought that denies or seeks to explain away the overwhelming evidence for design in biology is ideology, not science.
The director of theVatican Observatory,George Coyne, SJ, criticized Schönborn's view and pointed toPope John Paul II's declaration that "evolution is no longer a mere hypothesis"[52] and Catholic physicistStephen Barr wrote a critique[53] which evoked several replies, including a lengthy one from Schönborn.[54]
In April 2012, the election of a young gay man, who was living in a registered same-sex partnership, to apastoral council in Vienna was vetoed by theparish priest. After meeting with the couple, Schönborn reinstated him. He later advised in a homily that priests must apply a pastoral approach that is "neither rigorist nor lax" in counselling Catholics who "don't live according to [God's] master plan".[55]
On 14 April 2019, Schönborn expressed openness to the possibility of married men being ordained to the priesthood (something which already occurs in theEastern Catholic Churches and theAnglican ordinariate), while maintainingclerical celibacy as normative.[56][57]
On 22 March 2019, Schönborn revealed that he was suffering fromprostate cancer and would not appear in public until after surgery in May 2019.[58][59] On 9 May, the Archdiocese of Vienna announced that his surgery was successful.[60][61][62]
On 21 January 2020, the Archdiocese of Vienna announced that Pope Francis would not accept Schönborn's resignation when he turned 75, but only when it was ready to name his successor. Schönborn submitted his resignation as president of the Austrian Bishops Conference on 16 June 2020, after four years of his six-year term.[15]
Pope Francis accepted Schönborn's resignation on 22 January 2025, his 80th birthday, without naming his successor.[63]
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| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| New title | — TITULAR — Titular bishop ofSutri 11 July 1991 – 13 April 1995 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Auxiliary bishop ofVienna 11 July 1991 – 13 April 1995 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Archbishop of Vienna 14 September 1995 – 22 January 2025 | Succeeded by |
| Ordinariate for Byzantine-Rite Catholics in Austria 6 November 1995 – | Incumbent | |
| Preceded by | Cardinal priest ofGesù Divin Lavoratore 21 February 1998 – | |
| Preceded by | President of theEpiscopal Conference of Austria 30 June 1998 – 16 June 2020 | Succeeded by |
