New Archbishop of Vienna: Clarity Expected on Thursday

The new Archbishop of Vienna is likely to be decided by Thursday. According to APA information from government circles, the Council of Ministers will approve the new archbishop in a circular resolution tomorrow, Thursday. Josef Grünwidl, who has been serving as apostolic administrator in the diocese since January 22, is considered the favorite. The former Archbishop Christoph Schönborn had previously retired.

Who will be the new Archbishop of Vienna?

Other candidates mentioned in the past include the Bishop of Innsbruck, Hermann Glettler, and the Secretary General of the Bishops' Conference, Peter Schipka. However, according to a report by the "Presse," the decision has firmly fallen on Grünwidl. The "Kleine Zeitung" also named the administrator as a clear favorite over the weekend.

Grünwidl had taken himself out of the running a few weeks ago. As recently as July, he confirmed to the "NÖN" that he did not want to take on the position. Some of his positions do not necessarily align with those of the Vatican. For instance, in April, he spoke out against mandatory celibacy. The 62-year-old has considerable experience in the archdiocese. In 1993, he became the secretary of the newly appointed Archbishop Schönborn for five years. Before his appointment as administrator, he was the acting chairman of the Vienna Priests' Council.

Few Archbishops of Vienna in Recent Decades

Having a new Archbishop of Vienna is not an everyday occurrence. It has been 30 years since Schönborn was introduced to his office. In fact, since World War II, there have only been four Archbishops of Vienna, which is mainly due to the 30-year tenure of Cardinal Franz König.

The Council of Ministers will be involved in the matter in accordance with the concordat. It is assumed that the government will have no objections "of a general political nature."

(APA/Red)

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