Cornelia Richter becomes the first Protestant bishop in Austria

Over 1,000 guests are expected at the festive service in Vienna's Museumsquartier, which will also be attended by Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen and the appointed Archbishop of Vienna, Josef Grünwidl.

First Evangelical Bishop in Austria: Inauguration on Saturday

The 54-year-old theologian was elected as the new bishop by the synod of the Evangelical Church A.B. in Vienna in the first round of voting at the end of May. Her term of office is twelve years.

In addition to Van der Bellen and Grünwidl, Social and Health Minister Korinna Schumann (SPÖ), Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP), and the Bishop of the Diocese of Linz, Manfred Scheuer, are also expected, according to Kathpress. Scheuer is the deputy chairman of the Bishops' Conference and is also responsible for the topic of ecumenism. Synod President Ingrid Monjencs will read the certificate of appointment, and numerous bishops from Europe will offer words of blessing.

Cornelia Richter is from Bad Goisern

The native Upper Austrian hails from Bad Goisern and has been teaching in Bonn as a professor since 2012, initially for Systematic Theology, and since 2020 she has held the professorship for Dogmatics and Philosophy of Religion. From 2020 to 2024, she was the first dean of the Protestant Theological Faculty, and since 2024 she has been the first female chair of the Senate of the University of Bonn.

The festive service in the Museumsquartier Vienna begins at 2 PM. Bishop Michael Chalupka - who will retire at the end of the year - will hand over the bishop's cross to Richter.

(APA/Red)

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