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{{short description|Cardinal and archbishop of Vienna (born 1945)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2017}}
{{Infobox Christian leader
| type = Cardinal
| honorific-prefix = [[Eminence (style)|His Eminence]]
| name = Christoph Schönborn
| honorific-suffix = [[Dominican Order|OP]]
| title = [[Cardinal (Catholic Church)|Cardinal]], [[Archbishop of Vienna|Archbishop emeritus of Vienna]]
| image = Schönborn Österreichische Bischofskonferenz 20200616.jpg
| imagesize =
| alt =
| caption = Cardinal Schönborn in 2020
| church =
| archdiocese = [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vienna|Vienna]]
| province =
| metropolis =
| diocese =
| see = Vienna
| appointed = 13 April 1995 ([[Coadjutor bishop|Coadjutor]])
| enthroned = 14 September 1995
| ended = 22 January 2025
| predecessor = [[Hans Hermann Groër]]
| opposed =
| successor =
| ordination = 27 December 1970
| ordained_by = [[Franz König]]
| consecration = 29 September 1991
| consecrated_by = [[Hans Hermann Groër]]
| cardinal = 21 February 1998
| created_cardinal_by = [[Pope John Paul II|John Paul II]]
| rank = Cardinal Priest
| other_post = {{unbulleted list|[[List of titular churches|Cardinal-Priest of Gesù Divin Lavoratore]]|[[Ordinariate for Eastern Catholic faithful|Ordinary for the Austrian Ordinariate for the Faithful of Eastern Rites]]}}
| previous_post = {{unbulleted list|Coadjutor Archbishop of Vienna (1995)|[[Auxiliary bishop]] of Vienna (1991–1995)|[[Titular bishop]] of [[Sutrium]] (1991–1995)}}
<!---------- Personal details ---------->
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1945|1|22|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Vlastislav (Litoměřice District)|Skalka Castle]], [[Reichsgau Sudetenland]], [[Nazi Germany|Germany]]<br />(now Czech Republic)
| death_date =
| death_place =
| buried =
| nationality = Austrian
| religion = [[Catholic Church]]
| residence =
| parents = Hugo-Damian, ''[[Graf]]'' von Schönborn, [[Eleonore Schönborn]]
| alma_mater =
| signature =
| motto = ''Vos autem dixi amicos'' (I have called you friends)<br />— [[Gospel of John|John]] 15:15
| coat_of_arms = Coat of arms of Christoph Schönborn.svg
| other =
}}{{Infobox cardinal styles
|cardinal name= Christoph Schönborn
|dipstyle= His Eminence
|offstyle= Your Eminence
|relstyle= His Eminence
|image= Coat of arms of Christoph Schönborn.svg
|image_size = 200px
|deathstyle=
|see= [[Vienna]]
}}
'''Christoph Maria Michael Hugo Damian Peter Adalbert Schönborn''', [[Dominican Order|OP]] ({{IPA|de|ˈkrɪstɔf ˈʃøːnbɔrn|lang}};<ref>{{cite book |title=[[Duden]] Aussprachewörterbuch |edition=6th|year=2006 |publisher=[[Bibliographisches Institut]] & [[F. A. Brockhaus AG]]|___location=Mannheim |language=de |isbn=3-411-04066-1}}</ref> born 22 January 1945) is a [[Bohemia]]n-born [[Catholic Church in Austria|Austrian Catholic]] prelate who served as [[Archbishop of Vienna]] from 1995 until 2025. He was chairman of the [[Episcopal Conference of Austria|Austrian Bishops' Conference]] from 1998 to 2020 and was made a [[Cardinal (Catholic Church)|cardinal]] in 1998. He is a member of the [[Dominican Order]].
Schönborn is Grand Chaplain of the [[Order of the Golden Fleece]] (Austrian branch), of which he has been a member since 1961. He is also a member of the formerly sovereign [[House of Schönborn]], several members of which held high offices of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] and the [[Catholic Church]] as [[prince-bishop]]s, [[prince-elector]]s and cardinals.
==Family and early life==
{{Main|Schönborn family}}
[[File:Sutom 2.jpg|thumb|His birthplace and ancestral castle, Skalka Castle in modern [[Vlastislav (Litoměřice District)|Vlastislav]]]]
Schönborn was born at [[Vlastislav (Litoměřice District)|Skalka]] Castle, west of [[Litoměřice]] in [[Bohemia]] (then part of [[Sudetenland]], a Nazi-annexed territory of [[Czechoslovakia]], now part of the [[Czech Republic]]), the second son of Count Hugo-Damian von Schönborn (1916–1979), and his wife, Baroness [[Eleonore Schönborn|Eleonore Ottilie Hilda Maria von Doblhoff]].<ref>[https://www.genealogics.org/pedigree.php?personID=I00206032&tree=LEO "Christoph, Graf von Schönborn, Cardinal"], genealogics.org</ref> By birth, he is a member of an ancient German [[Mediatised houses#List of Comital mediatised houses (Erlaucht)|House of Schönborn]] whose members have historically borne the title of [[Imperial Count]] and the [[style (manner of address)|style]] of ''[[Illustrious Highness]]''. Several members of the Schönborn family held high offices in the Catholic Church and, since the 17th century, the [[Holy Roman Empire]], including several [[prince-bishop]]s, [[Cardinal (Catholic Church)|cardinals]] and ecclesiastical [[prince-elector]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/papabile-day-men-who-could-be-pope-6?_ga=2.56428907.1508659575.1594138924-1967035883.1534187703|title = Papabile of the Day: The Men Who Could be Pope|date = 25 February 2013}}</ref> One family member was [[Franziskus von Paula Graf von Schönborn]], [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Prague|Cardinal-archbishop of Prague]]. When aristocratic titles were abolished in the [[First 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.<ref>Christa Zöchling: [https://www.profil.at/home/die-kriegshelden-wie-oesterreicher-ns-terror-249905 Die wahren Kriegshelden. Wie prominente Österreicher dem NS-Terror widersetzten] (in German) ''profil'' 29 August 2009, retrieved on 18 May 2021.</ref> Following the German withdrawal from Czechoslovakia at the end of [[World War II]], Bohemia's German-speaking population, especially the nobility, was persecuted by the new rulers, first by [[Edvard Beneš]]' post-war nationalist government and then by the new [[Stalinism|Stalinist]] regime, and the family fled to Austria in 1945.<ref name="katholisch.de">{{cite web | title=Österreichs Kardinalsmutter – Eleonore Schönborn wird 100 | website=katholisch.de | url=https://www.katholisch.de/artikel/25167-oesterreichs-kardinalsmutter-eleonore-schoenborn-wird-100 | language=de | access-date=2 March 2022}}</ref><ref name="Erzdiözese Wien 2018">{{cite web | title=Der Mensch ist dazu geschaffen, glücklich zu sein | website=Erzdiözese Wien | date=22 August 2018 | url=https://www.erzdioezese-wien.at/site/home/nachrichten/article/79809.html | language=de | access-date=2 March 2022}}</ref> His parents divorced in 1959.<ref>{{cite news|language=fr|title=Cardinal Schönborn : « Le soir où j'ai appris le divorce de mes parents, l'un des moments les plus douloureux de ma vie »|trans-title=... 'The evening I learned of my parents’ divorce was one of the most painful moments of my life'|url=https://www.la-croix.com/Religion/Actualite/Cardinal-Schoenborn-Le-soir-ou-j-ai-appris-le-divorce-de-mes-parents-a-ete-l-un-des-moments-les-plus-douloureux-de-ma-vie-2014-10-10-1219561|author=Loup Besmond de Senneville|newspaper=[[La Croix (newspaper)|La Croix]]|date=10 October 2014|access-date=2 September 2024}}</ref> He has two brothers and one sister; his brother [[Michael Schönborn]] is an actor. He grew up in [[Schruns]] in western Austria, close to the border of the Swiss canton of [[Graubünden]]. Parts of his family live in France.<ref name="lepoint">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.lepoint.fr/monde/vatican-schonborn-n-est-pas-prophete-en-son-pays-09-03-2013-1637986_24.php|title=Vatican : Schönborn n'est pas prophète en son pays|magazine=[[Le Point]]|date=9 March 2013|access-date=5 April 2014}}</ref>
Growing up in [[Vorarlberg]], Schönborn speaks the [[Vorarlberg#Language|Vorarlberg dialect]] as well as [[Swiss German]] in addition to [[Standard German]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.format.at/articles/1310/931/354267/papst-konklave-die-kandidaten|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130314234204/http://www.format.at/articles/1310/931/354267/papst-konklave-die-kandidaten|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 March 2013|title=Papst-Konklave: Die aussichtsreichsten Kandidaten...|magazine=[[Format (magazine)|Format]]|access-date=5 April 2014}}</ref> In addition to his native German, Schönborn is fluent in French and Italian, and proficient in English, Spanish and [[Latin]].<ref name="kathweb.at">{{cite web|url=http://www.kathweb.at/site/nachrichten/database/52626.html|title=kathweb Nachrichten .:. Katholische Presseagentur Österreich|author=Katholische Presseagentur Österreich|publisher=kathweb.at|access-date=5 April 2014}}</ref> He lived for several years in France and Switzerland.<ref name="Erzdiözese Wien 2018" />
He is a direct descendant of the Duchess of Bohemia [[Saint Ludmilla]] (860 [[Mělník]] – 921 Tetín).<ref>Czech Radio, [https://www.irozhlas.cz/zpravy-tag/christoph-schonborn "Národní pouť k výročí svaté Ludmily pokračovala mší. Sloužil ji papežský legát a přímý potomek světice"] [The national pilgrimage to the anniversary of Saint Ludmila continued with a mass. It was served by a papal legate and a direct descendant of the saint], 19 September 2021</ref>
==Early church career==
In September 1945, his family was forced to flee from Bohemia. Schönborn took his [[Matura]] examination in 1963, and entered the [[Dominican Order|Order of Preachers]]. He studied [[theology]] in Paris; and philosophy and [[psychology]] in [[Bornheim (Rheinland)|Bornheim-Walberberg]] and Vienna. Schönborn also attended the [[Institut Catholique de Paris|Catholic Institute of Paris]] for further theological work, before studying Slavic and [[Byzantine Rite|Byzantine Christianity]] at the [[University of Paris|Sorbonne]].{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}
Schönborn was [[Holy Orders|ordained]] to the priesthood by Cardinal [[Franz König]] on 27 December 1970 in Vienna. He obtained a [[Licentiate of Sacred Theology]] in 1971, and later studied in [[Regensburg]] under [[Pope Benedict XVI|Fr. Joseph Ratzinger]] (later Pope Benedict XVI). He subsequently completed a [[Doctor of Sacred Theology|doctorate in Sacred Theology]] in Paris. From 1975 he was Professor of [[dogmatic theology|Dogmatics]] at the [[University of Fribourg]], Switzerland. In 1980, he became a member of the [[International Theological Commission]] of the [[Holy See]], and in 1987 he became editorial secretary for the ''[[Catechism of the Catholic Church]]''. In 1991 he was chosen to become an [[auxiliary bishop]] of Vienna.<ref name="Erzdiözese Wien 2015">{{cite web | title=Erzdiözese Wien | website=Erzdiözese Wien | date=26 September 2015 | url=https://www.erzdioezese-wien.at/pages/inst/14428675/international/article/31015.html | language=de | access-date=2 March 2022}}</ref><ref name="Cheney 2020">{{cite web | last=Cheney | first=David M. | title=Christoph Cardinal Schönborn Catholic-Hierarchy | website=Catholic-Hierarchy | date=24 September 2020 | url=https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bschoc.html | access-date=2 March 2022}}</ref> Since 1996 Schönborn is the bishop responsible for the Dominican [[Community of the Lamb]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wn.de/muenster/andacht-in-der-guten-stube-1952820|access-date=5 September 2024|title='Kleine Schwestern vom Lamm' – Andacht in der guten Stube|language=de|author=Maria Meik|date=6 November 2013|newspaper={{ill|Westfälische Nachrichten|de}}}}</ref>
==Archbishop of Vienna==
[[File:Schoenborn 20120616 2.JPG|thumb|upright|Schönborn at the consecration of the papal cross at Danube Park, Vienna, 2012]]
[[File:Kondukt in Wien (215).jpg|thumb|Schönborn (with [[crosier]]) and Archbishop [[Peter Stephan Zurbriggen]] walking in the [[Death and funeral of Otto von Habsburg|Otto von Habsburg funeral procession]]]]
Schönborn was appointed [[Coadjutor bishop|Coadjutor]] Archbishop of Vienna on 11 April 1995 and succeeded as [[Archbishop of Vienna]] on 14 September 1995. He was created [[cardinal priest]] of [[List of Titular Churches in Rome|Gesù Divin Lavoratore]] by [[Pope John Paul II]] in the [[Papal consistory|consistory]] of 21 February 1998. Considered among the ''papabili'' following John Paul's death, Cardinal Schönborn was one of the [[Cardinal electors in Papal conclave, 2005|cardinal electors]] who participated in the [[Papal conclave, 2005|2005 papal conclave]] that selected [[Pope Benedict XVI]], and in the [[Papal conclave, 2013|2013 papal conclave]] that selected [[Pope Francis]].
He became chairman of the [[Episcopal Conference of Austria|Austrian Bishops Conference]] in 1998 when he was elected to the first of four six-year terms.<ref name=bleibt/>
Schönborn served as a member of the [[Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith]], [[Congregation for the Oriental Churches|that for the Oriental Churches]], and [[Congregation for Catholic Education|that for Catholic Education]], and of the [[Pontifical Council for Culture]] and the [[Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church]]. On 5 January 2011 he was appointed among the first members of the newly created [[Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation]].<ref>[http://press.catholica.va/news_services/bulletin/news/26652.php?index=26652&lang=en#NOMINA "Di membri del pontificio consiglio per la promozione della nuova evangelizzazione'] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120808201435/http://press.catholica.va/news_services/bulletin/news/26652.php?index=26652&lang=en#NOMINA |date=8 August 2012 }}</ref> On 30 November 2013, [[Pope Francis]] confirmed Cardinal Schönborn as a Member of the Education Congregation.<ref name="vatican">{{cite web|url=http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2013/11/30/0795/01791.html|title=Rinunce e nomine|publisher=press.vatican.va|access-date=5 April 2014}}</ref>
Schönborn also serves as the Grand Chaplain to the Austrian [[Order of the Golden Fleece]]. Schönborn's [[motto|episcopal motto]] is ''Vos autem dixi amicos'' (I have called you friends) from {{bibleverse||John|15:15}}. His [[coat of arms]] as archbishop and cardinal includes in its upper [[Dexter and sinister|sinister]] field the family arms of the [[Schönborn family]].
Schönborn presided over the [[Funeral of Otto von Habsburg]], former Crown Prince of [[Austria-Hungary]], in [[St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna|St. Stephen's Cathedral]] on 16 July 2011.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://wien.orf.at/stories/524598/ |title=Otto Habsburg: Beisetzung am 16. Juli in Wien |publisher=Wien.orf.at |access-date=6 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713232404/http://wien.orf.at/stories/524598/ |archive-date=13 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
On 18 September 2012, Schönborn was named by Pope Benedict XVI as a Synod Father for the October 2012 13th Ordinary General Assembly of the [[Synod of Bishops (Catholic)|Synod of Bishops]] on the New Evangelization.<ref>{{cite press release | access-date = 6 May 2018 | date= 18 September 2012 | url = http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2012/09/18/0522/01169.html | language = it | title = Rinunce e Nomine, 18.09.2012 | publisher = Holy See Press Office}}</ref>
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 1980–88 [[Iran–Iraq War]].<ref>{{cite news | access-date = 22 January 2020 | date = 1 March 2001 | url = https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2001/marchweb-only/3-5-45.0.html | work = Christianity Today | first = Jonathan | last = Luxmoore | title = Church Officials Optimistic that Iran Is Changing Its Views of Christians }}</ref>
Schönborn has been described as an accomplished [[crisis management|crisis manager]].<ref name="news">{{cite web|url=http://www.news.at/a/papst-nachfolger-schoenborn-konklave-wahl|title=Papst Benedikt XVI. – Wer kann Papst? • NEWS.AT|publisher=news.at|access-date=5 April 2014}}</ref> He had a close relationship with [[Pope Benedict XVI]], whom he knew for decades, and has been referred to as Benedict's "spiritual son".<ref name="jolpress.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.jolpress.com/christoph-schonborn-pape-conclave-benoit-xvi-papabile-article-817718.html|title=C. Schönborn, le "fils spirituel" de Benoît XVI – JOL Journalism Online Press|publisher=jolpress.com|access-date=5 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130303100633/http://www.jolpress.com/christoph-schonborn-pape-conclave-benoit-xvi-papabile-article-817718.html|archive-date=3 March 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>
On 1 December 2017, Schönborn presided over an interconfessional prayer service entitled ''[[Mozart Requiem]]'' in his cathedral church for [[World AIDS Day]]. The event was co-hosted by the LGBT activist {{ill|Gery Keszler|DE}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://international.la-croix.com/news/culture/cardinal-leads-first-ever-aids-day-requiem-in-vienna-cathedral/6492|website=La Croix|date=December 3, 2017|title=Cardinal leads first-ever AIDS Day requiem in Vienna cathedral|access-date=February 25, 2025}}</ref>
On 1 December 2018, he invited in the St. Stephen's Cathedral a [[Rock music|rock]] ensemble to perform a flamboyant play called ''Jedermann (reloaded)'', which was based on the early 20th-century play [[Jedermann (play)|of that name]] by [[Hugo von Hofmannsthal]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://novusordowatch.org/2018/12/flamboyant-rock-play-vienna-cathedral-sanctuary/|title=Cardinal Schönborn hosts Flamboyant Rock Play in Cathedral Sanctuary|date=December 2, 2018}}</ref>
===Response to the sex abuse scandal===
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 praising [[Pope Benedict XVI]] for having pushed for sex abuse inquiries when he was a Cardinal. Schönborn has earned much recognition<ref name="oe24">{{cite web|url=http://www.oe24.at/papst/Unser-Kardinal-wird-in-Rom-sehr-geschaetzt/94642451|title=Unser Kardinal wird in Rom sehr geschätzt|date=12 February 2013|publisher=oe24.at|access-date=5 April 2014}}</ref> for his handling of the abuse scandal surrounding his predecessor as Vienna Archbishop [[Hans Hermann Groër]], who was removed from office in 1995. In 1998, Schönborn publicly confirmed that he believed in the allegations against Groër.<ref name="kathweb.at"/> 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.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/damianthompson/100031816/pope-john-paul-ii-ignored-ratzingers-pleas-to-pursue-sex-abuse-cardinal/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100401034620/http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/damianthompson/100031816/pope-john-paul-ii-ignored-ratzingers-pleas-to-pursue-sex-abuse-cardinal/|url-status=dead|archive-date=1 April 2010|title=Pope John Paul II ignored Ratzinger's pleas to pursue sex abuse cardinal|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|type=blog|access-date=5 April 2014|___location=London|date=29 March 2010}}</ref> A sex abuse victims group named him as one of two promising cardinals they saw as good candidates for the papacy in 2013.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/443480/20130308/new-pope-2013-sex-abuse-victims-group.htm#.UTjR-rvdV2Y |title=New Pope 2013: Sex Abuse Victims Group Names Filipino, Austrian and Irish as Promising Papabiles After Rejecting Dirty Dozen Cardinals|newspaper=[[International Business Times]]|access-date=5 April 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140304032552/http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/443480/20130308/new-pope-2013-sex-abuse-victims-group.htm |archive-date=4 March 2014}}</ref>
=== Gerhard Wagner controversy ===
In January 2009, [[Gerhard Maria Wagner]] was appointed by [[Pope Benedict XVI]], without consultation with the Austrian bishops' conference, as an [[auxiliary bishop]] of [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Linz|Linz, Austria]]. Wagner was known for highly conservative views, in particular for blaming the [[Hurricane Katrina]] on the sins of the [[New 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.<ref name="Tablet">[http://thetablet.co.uk/article/12697 Austria's perilous journey], [[The Tablet]], 21 February 2009. Accessed 9 March 2013.</ref> Schönborn made an emergency trip to Rome and in mid-February 2009 Wagner was thus persuaded to resign his post at Linz.<ref name="CH">[http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/features/2013/03/06/the-men-who-could-be-pope-cardinal-christoph-schonborn/ The men who could be pope: Cardinal Christoph Schönborn] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923201212/http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/features/2013/03/06/the-men-who-could-be-pope-cardinal-christoph-schonborn/ |date=23 September 2015 }}, [[Catholic Herald]], 6 March 2013. Accessed 9 March 2013</ref>
===Response to dissident priest movement===
[[File:Kardinal Christoph Schönborn.JPG|thumb|upright|Schönborn, 2007]]
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 the [[Pastor's Initiative|Pfarrer Initiative]] or ''Parish 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.<ref name="vi">{{cite web|url=http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/world-news/detail/articolo/pfarrer-initiative-chiesa-church-iglesia-20200/ |title=Austria: "Cold war" between rebel priests and the Vatican – Vatican Insider |publisher=Vaticaninsider.lastampa.it |date=30 November 2012 |access-date=28 February 2015}}</ref> In 2011 the Pfarrer Initiative attracted considerable attention with the publication of the group's manifesto called "Call to Disobedience".<ref name="vi"/> 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.<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-austria-catholic-priests-idUSBRE85Q0ZO20120627 Austrian cardinal cracks down on rebel priests], [[Reuters]], 27 June 2012. Accessed 9 March 2013</ref> 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.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20151222194342/http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-austria-church-idUKTRE78G1F220110917 Vienna cardinal takes tough line on priest revolt], [[Reuters]], 17 September 2012. Accessed 9 March 2013</ref>
==Views==
Schönborn has been described as a "conciliatory pragmatist who is open to dialogue."<ref name="heute">{{cite web|url=http://www.heute.at/news/welt/art23661,850765|title="Mein Herz gilt Wien": Christoph Schönborn gilt als Papst-Kandidat – Heute.at|publisher=heute.at|access-date=5 April 2014|archive-date=24 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924041716/http://www.heute.at/news/welt/art23661,850765|url-status=dead}}</ref>
On 1 December 2018, he allowed a controversial rock performance to take place in [[St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna|St. Stephen Cathedral]] to raise money for HIV patients.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://international.la-croix.com/news/cardinal-leads-first-ever-aids-day-requiem-in-vienna-cathedral/6492|title=Cardinal leads first-ever AIDS Day requiem in Vienna cathedral- La Croix International|website=international.la-croix.com|date=4 December 2017|access-date=2019-10-22}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ricochet.com/579412/archives/the-satanic-desecration-of-a-cathedral-in-vienna/|title=The Desecration of a Cathedral in Vienna|website=Ricochet|language=en-US|access-date=2019-10-22|archive-date=22 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191022141138/https://ricochet.com/579412/archives/the-satanic-desecration-of-a-cathedral-in-vienna/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The event was held to benefit the ''Brotherhood of Blessed Gérard'', a hospice in [[South Africa]] run by the Sovereign Military Order of Malta for people dying of AIDS.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://kurier.at/kultur/zum-welt-aids-tag-spielt-der-jedermann-im-dom/400144892|title=Zum Welt-AIDS-Tag spielt der ''Jedermann'' im Dom|website=kurier.at|date=13 October 2018|language=de|access-date=2019-10-22}}</ref> The previous year, Schönborn, the Order of Malta, and [[Life Ball|Gery Keszler]]'s LGBT Life Ball organized a Mass to remember [[World AIDS Day|World Aids Day.]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://agensir.it/quotidiano/2017/12/1/austria-catholic-church-joining-world-aids-day-card-schonborn-celebration-in-vienna-cathedral-tonight/|title=Austria: Catholic Church joining World Aids Day. Card. Schönborn, celebration in Vienna Cathedral tonight |date=2017-12-01|website= [[AgenSir]]|language=it|access-date=2019-10-22}}</ref> [[Conchita Wurst]] was invited to speak in that occasion.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://esctoday.com/153784/austria-conchita-special-mass-world-aids-day-2017/|title=Eurovision Austria: Conchita in special mass for World Aids Day 2017|date=2017-12-04|website=Eurovision News|access-date=2019-10-22}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Cardinal Schonborn hosts disturbing gay-themed service in Cathedral|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QYAhkeYwIk|via=[[YouTube]]| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215192428/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QYAhkeYwIk| archive-date=2018-12-15 | url-status=dead|language=en|access-date=2019-10-22}}</ref>
===Interfaith dialogue===
Schönborn is a member of the [[Elijah Interfaith Institute]] Board of World Religious Leaders.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elijah-interfaith.org/index.php?id=797 |title=Board of World Religious Leaders |publisher=Elijah Interfaith |date=22 May 2007 |access-date=28 February 2015}}</ref>
In May 2017, Schönborn published an approbation in regards to the [[To Do the Will of Our Father in Heaven: Toward a Partnership between Jews and Christians|Orthodox Rabbinic Statement on Christianity]] entitled ''To Do the Will of Our Father in Heaven: Toward a Partnership between Jews and Christians'' which was published two years beforehand by the [[Israel]]-based [[Center for Jewish–Christian Understanding and Cooperation]] (CJCUC).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cjcuc.org/2015/12/03/orthodox-rabbinic-statement-on-christianity/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170529120717/http://cjcuc.org/2015/12/03/orthodox-rabbinic-statement-on-christianity/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=29 May 2017|title=Orthodox Rabbinic Statement on Christianity|publisher=[[Center for Jewish–Christian Understanding and Cooperation]]|date=3 December 2015|access-date=13 June 2017}}</ref>
===Islam and Catholicism===
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".<ref>{{cite news | work = Zenit | date = 20 June 2006 | url = https://zenit.org/articles/cardinal-schonborn-on-2-missionary-religions/ | access-date = 22 January 2020 | title = Cardinal Schönborn on 2 Missionary Religions }}{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> When news outlets reported in 2016 that he had warned of "an Islamic conquest of Europe",<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/09/13/austrian-cardinal-tipped-to-be-the-next-pope-warns-of-an-islamic|title=Austrian cardinal tipped to be the next pope warns of an 'Islamic conquest of Europe'|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]|___location=London|access-date=26 March 2017|date=14 September 2016}}</ref> Schönborn pointed out that he had asked the question "Will there be an Islamic conquest of Europe?" in a sermon that identified Europe with the [[prodigal 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."<ref>{{cite web | access-date = 22 January 2020 | url = https://www.erzdioezese-wien.at/pages/inst/14428675/text/stellungnahmen/article/52187.html | publisher = Archdiocese of Vienna | title= Schönborn: Renewal of Christian Legacy }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | work = Christian Today | access-date = 22 January 2020 | date = 16 September 2016 | url = https://christiantoday.com/article/cardinal-denies-attacking-muslims-after-warning-of-islamic-conquest-of-europe/95584.htm | first = Carey | last = Lodge | title = Cardinal denies attacking Muslims after warning of 'Islamic conquest of Europe' }}</ref>
===Same-sex relationships===
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.<ref>{{cite news | work = Catholic Herald | date = 11 September 2015 | url = http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2015/09/11/stable-gay-relationship-is-better-than-a-temporary-one-says-cardinal-schonborn/ | first = Cindy | last = Wooden | title = Stable gay relationship is better than a 'temporary' one, says Cardinal Schönborn | access-date = 22 January 2020 | archive-date = 4 November 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151104022031/http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2015/09/11/stable-gay-relationship-is-better-than-a-temporary-one-says-cardinal-schonborn/ | url-status = dead }}</ref>
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.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2021-03-26 |title=Vienna cardinal 'not happy' with Vatican same-sex statement |url=https://www.catholicnews.com/vienna-cardinal-not-happy-with-vatican-same-sex-statement/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210326151222/https://www.catholicnews.com/vienna-cardinal-not-happy-with-vatican-same-sex-statement/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=26 March 2021 |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=Catholic News Service |language=en-US}}</ref> In September 2024, when asked about [[Fiducia supplicans]] Schönborn said he believed the document showed “confusion on the part of the Church."<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/259183/cardinal-schonborn-we-must-accept-the-decline-of-europe | title=Cardinal Schönborn: 'We must accept the decline of Europe' }}</ref>
===HIV/AIDS and condoms===
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."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.catholicculture.org/news/features/index.cfm?recnum=281 |title=News Features |publisher=Catholic Culture |access-date=28 February 2015}}</ref>
===Tridentine Mass===
In 2024, when asked about the 2021 motu proprio ''[[Traditionis custodes]]'' that placed restrictions on use of the [[Tridentine Mass]], Schönborn said that he hoped that the “new generation” might “easily” move from the 'TLM to modern movements and “prayer groups” such as the [[Emmanuel Community]], adding “Let us accept that Francis has his reasons for closing the doors again, at least partially, just as we have accepted that [[Benedict XVI]] had his reasons for opening them. Let us trust that the Lord is leading the Church.”<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/259183/cardinal-schonborn-we-must-accept-the-decline-of-europe | title=Cardinal Schönborn: 'We must accept the decline of Europe' }}</ref>
===Evolution and the Catholic Church===
In an opinion piece that appeared in ''[[The New York Times]]'' on 7 July 2005,<ref>{{cite news | first =Christoph | last = Schönborn |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/07/opinion/finding-design-in-nature.html| title= Finding Design in Nature|page=A23|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]| date= 7 July 2005 | access-date = 21 January 2020}} [http://www.millerandlevine.com/km/evol/catholic/schonborn-NYTimes.html also here]</ref> Schönborn accepted the possibility of [[evolution]] but criticised certain [[Neo-Darwinism|"neo-Darwinian"]] theories as incompatible with Catholic teaching:
{{blockquote|Evolution in the sense of common ancestry might be true, but evolution in the neo-Darwinian sense – an unguided, unplanned process of [[random variation]] and [[natural 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 the [[Vatican Observatory]], [[George Coyne]], SJ, criticized Schönborn's view and pointed to [[Pope John Paul II]]'s declaration that "evolution is no longer a mere hypothesis" <ref>{{cite news |title=Intelligent Design belittles God, Vatican director says |url=http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=18503 |publisher=Catholic Online |date=30 January 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130323080822/http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=18503 |archive-date=23 March 2013 |access-date=2 December 2014}}</ref> and Catholic physicist [[Stephen Barr]] wrote a critique<ref>{{cite web|first=Stephen |last= Barr |url=http://www.firstthings.com/article/2005/10/the-design-of-evolution |title=The Design of Evolution | work= First Things |date= October 2005 | access-date=2 June 2015}}</ref> which evoked several replies, including a lengthy one from Schönborn.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.firstthings.com/article/2006/04/defining-davidson-down | work = First Things |date= April 2006 | title=April Letters |access-date = 21 January 2020}}</ref>
===Gay pastoral council member===
In April 2012, the election of a young gay man, who was living in a registered same-sex partnership, to a [[pastoral council]] in Vienna was vetoed by the [[parish 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".<ref>{{cite news|last=Mann|first=Benjamin|title=Vatican consultant defends Cardinal Schönborn in parish council flap |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/24723/vatican-consultant-defends-cardinal-schonborn-in-parish-council-flap |access-date=12 March 2013|newspaper=Catholic News Agency|date=13 April 2012}}</ref>
=== Reform of clerical celibacy ===
On 14 April 2019, Schönborn expressed openness to the possibility of married men being ordained to the priesthood (something which already occurs in the [[Eastern Catholic Churches]] and the [[Anglican ordinariate]]), while maintaining [[Clerical celibacy in the Catholic Church|clerical celibacy]] as normative.<ref>[https://www.kath.net/news/67637 kath.net: "Viri probati": Schönborn offen für Debatte über Weihe] (German)</ref><ref>[https://www.tt.com/ticker/15543704/schoenborn-2-offen-fuer-weihe-von-viri-probati "Schönborn – Offen für Weihe von 'viri probati' "], [[Tiroler Tageszeitung]], 14 April 2019 (in German)</ref>
==Health and retirement plans==
[[File:Coat of arms of Christoph Schönborn.svg|thumb|Schönborn's [[coat of arms]] as a cardinal and archbishop]]
On 22 March 2019, Schönborn revealed that he was suffering from [[prostate cancer]] and would not appear in public until after surgery in May 2019.<ref name=prostate1>{{cite news |url=https://www.ncronline.org/news/quick-reads/austrian-cardinal-undergo-surgery-prostate-cancer |title=Austrian cardinal to undergo surgery for prostate cancer |date=22 May 2019 |access-date=24 December 2019 |author=Catholic News Service |author-link=Catholic News Service |newspaper=[[NCR Online]]}}</ref><ref name=prostate2>{{cite news |url=https://cruxnow.com/church-in-europe/2019/03/23/austrian-cardinal-to-undergo-surgery-for-prostate-cancer/ |title=Austrian cardinal to undergo surgery for prostate cancer |date=23 May 2019 |access-date=24 December 2019 |newspaper=[[Crux Now]] |author=Catholic News Service |author-link=Catholic News Service |publisher=Crux Catholic Media Inc. |archive-date=23 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190323205526/https://cruxnow.com/church-in-europe/2019/03/23/austrian-cardinal-to-undergo-surgery-for-prostate-cancer/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> On 9 May, the Archdiocese of Vienna announced that his surgery was successful.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.domradio.de/themen/weltkirche/2019-05-09/kardinal-schoenborn-nach-krebsoperation-auf-dem-weg-der-besserung |title=Kardinal Schönborn nach Krebsoperation auf dem Weg der Besserung |date=9 May 2019 |access-date=24 December 2019 |work=Dom Radio |language=de |first=Christian |last=Gennari}}</ref><ref name=may9recoveryer>{{cite news |url=https://www.katholisch.de/aktuelles/aktuelle-artikel/kardinal-schonborn-nach-krebsoperation-auf-dem-weg-der-besserung |title=Kardinal Schönborn nach Krebsoperation auf dem Weg der Besserung |date=9 May 2019 |access-date=24 December 2019 |work=Katholisch |language=de}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.vaticannews.va/de/kirche/news/2019-05/oesterreich-kardinal-schoenborn-operation-gut-verlaufen-prostata.html |title=Österreich: Kardinal Schönborns Operation gut verlaufen |date=9 May 2019 |access-date=24 December 2019 |work=Vatican News}}</ref>
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.<ref name=bleibt>{{cite web | language = de | publisher = Archdiocese of Vienna | url = https://www.erzdioezese-wien.at/site/home/nachrichten/article/79962.html | access-date = 22 January 2020 | date = 21 January 2020 | title = Kardinal Schönborn bleibt als Erzbischof vorläufig weiter im Amt }}</ref>
Pope Francis accepted Schönborn's resignation on 22 January 2025, his 80th birthday, without naming his successor.<ref>{{cite press release | publisher = Holy See Press Office | access-date = 22 January 2025 | date = 22 January 2025 | title = Resignations and Appointments, 22.01.2025 | url = https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2025/01/22/250122b.html}}</ref>
==Ancestry==
{{ahnentafel
|collapsed=yes |align=center
|title=Ancestors of Christoph Schönborn
|ref=
|boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc;
|boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9;
|boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc;
|boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc;
|1= 1. '''Christoph Schönborn'''
|2= 2. Count Hugo Damian von Schönborn
|3= 3. Baroness Eleonore von Doblhoff
|4= 4. Count Karl Johann von Schönborn
|5= 5. Countess Elisabeth von Nostitz-Rieneck
|6= 6. Baron Herbert von Doblhoff
|7= 7. Gertud von Skutetzky
|8= 8. Count Johann von [[Schönborn family|Schönborn]]
|9= 9. Countess Anna von [[Wurmbrand-Stuppach]]
|10= 10. Count Heinrich von [[Nostitz family|Nostitz-Rieneck]]
|11= 11. Countess Marie [[Chotek family|Chotek von Wognin]]
|12= 12. Baron Rudolf von Doblhoff
|13= 13. Dorothea [[Edler|Edle]] von Littrow
|14= 14. Hubert [[Ritter]] von Skutetzky
|15= 15. Anna Amalia Berwer
}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==Further reading==
*{{cite news | url = https://www.zeit.de/2020/04/kardinal-christoph-schoenborn-oesterreich-ruecktritt-vatikan | work = Der Zenit | language = de | date = 17 January 2020 | title= Kardinal Christoph Schönborn: Der Unverzichtbare | trans-title= Kardinal Christoph Schönborn: The Indispensable}}
==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{wikiquote}}
* {{cite web| access-date = 14 November 2017| title= Schönborn Card. Christoph, O.P. |publisher= [[Holy See Press Office]] | url= https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_schonborn_c.html | url-status=live | archive-date= 4 September 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170904063611/http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_schonborn_c.html }}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20100316215349/http://www.cardinalschonborn.com/ The Schönborn Site – Following the Life and Work of Christoph Cardinal Schönborn (expired link)]
*[http://www.evolutionpages.com/Schoenborn_critique.htm A critique of Schönborn on evolution] by Alec MacAndrew
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080405205910/http://www.ncronline.org/mainpage/specialdocuments/intervieww-peterschuster.htm Interview] with [[Peter Schuster (theoretical chemist)|Peter Schuster]] regarding Cardinal Schönborn's statement on evolution
*[http://www.wargs.com/noble/schoenborn.html Some ancestors of Count Christoph von Schönborn]
{{s-start}}
{{s-rel|ca}}
{{s-new}}
{{s-tul|title=[[Titular bishop]] of [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Nepi-Sutri|Sutri]]|years=11 July 1991 – 13 April 1995}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Paolo Sardi]]}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Kurt Krenn]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Auxiliary bishop]] of [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vienna|Vienna]]|years=11 July 1991 – 13 April 1995}}
{{s-aft|after={{ill|Alois Schwarz (bishop)|de|Alois Schwarz (Bischof)|lt=Alois Schwarz}}}}
{{s-bef|rows=2|before=[[Hans Hermann Groër]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Archbishop]] of Vienna|years=14 September 1995 –}}
{{s-inc|rows=3}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Ordinariate for Byzantine-Rite Catholics in Austria]]|years=6 November 1995 –}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Joseph Louis Bernardin]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Cardinal priest]] of [[Gesù Divin Lavoratore]]|years=21 February 1998 –}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Johann Weber (bishop)|Johann Weber]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=President of the [[Episcopal Conference of Austria]]|years=30 June 1998 – 16 June 2020}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Franz Lackner]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{College of Cardinals}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schoenborn, Christoph}}
[[Category:1945 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century Austrian cardinals]]
[[Category:21st-century Austrian cardinals]]
[[Category:20th-century Czech people]]
[[Category:Dominican cardinals]]
[[Category:Dominican bishops]]
[[Category:Austrian Dominicans]]
[[Category:21st-century Roman Catholic archbishops in Austria]]
[[Category:Archbishops of Vienna]]
[[Category:Schönborn family|Christoph]]
[[Category:Officers of the Order of Golden Fleece]]
[[Category:International Theological Commission]]
[[Category:Cardinals created by Pope John Paul II]]
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[[Category:Members of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches]]
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[[Category:Members of the Pontifical Council for Culture]]
[[Category:Members of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts]]
[[Category:Austrian nobility]]
[[Category:Austrian people of German Bohemian descent]]
[[Category:People from Litoměřice District]]
[[Category:Honorary knights of the Teutonic Order]]
[[Category:Critics of Islamism]]
[[Category:Critics of Freemasonry]]
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