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30 years of Archbishop: Christoph Schönborn and his legacy in Vienna
Cardinal Christoph Schönborn was Archbishop of Vienna for 30 years. The article highlights its reforms, challenges and criticisms.
30 years of Archbishop: Christoph Schönborn and his legacy in Vienna
Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, who directed the fortunes of the Catholic Church in Vienna for almost three decades, celebrated his 30th anniversary as archbishop on September 14, 2025. Since his appointment in 1995, he has been a witness and actor in a time of rapid change and great challenges for the Church. Schönborn took office in a phase of crisis marked by serious allegations of abuse and a dramatic increase in people leaving the church. The pressure on his predecessor, Cardinal Hans Groer, was enormous; Groer resigned in 1995 after several allegations of abuse emerged against him, leaving behind a deeply shaken community.
Schönborn, who retired in January 2023, is considered a bridge builder and reformer. He was an emphatic advocate for dialogue within the church and was valued for his efforts to involve laypeople and address socio-political issues such as asylum and euthanasia. Over the course of his term, he developed the concept of “city mission” together with other archbishops and also earned the respect and trust of several popes, including Pope Francis. His term of office was particularly characterized by the promotion of ecumenical and interdenominational dialogue, especially with Judaism and Eastern Churches.
Statements on the Synodal Way
A central point in Schönborn's criticism is the discussion about the priesthood that was raised by the second synodal assembly. This, in his opinion, calls into question the necessity of the priesthood, an issue that he considers inappropriate and in which the Presidium should have intervened. “Such questions cannot be negotiated synodally,” said Schönborn in his critical comments. The roots of the church, both biblical and traditional, should not be ignored.
Tradition and future of the church
Schönborn argues for greater consideration of tradition and synodal practice that serves the longer-term spiritual roots of the church. He warns of an “unsuitable mood of doom” that says the church will perish without modernization. Rather, he calls for preserving an “inner space” for tradition and loyalty. Schönborn also sees the discussion about the exclusion of women from the priesthood as a deeper symbolic theology that needs to be preserved.
While driving change in the church and creating a space for dialogue, Schönborn remains a defining figure in the Roman Catholic Church in Austria. At the moment, the Viennese church is being led on an interim basis by Josef Grünwidl while the search for a new archbishop is underway. Schönborn's decades-long influence will continue to be felt as the church enters a new phase.