Decision on Vienna Archbishop Delayed Further

Pope Leo XIV, although he has already appointed new bishops worldwide since taking office, the Archdiocese of Vienna may have to wait a little longer. Since mid-January, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn has been retired as archbishop, but a decision on his successor is still pending. According to APA information, the Archdiocese of Vienna does not expect a decision before the summer. The leadership is currently in the hands of the apostolic administrator Josef Grünwidl.

Surprise Candidate as Vienna's Archbishop?

After Grünwidl's appointment, church circles actually assumed that a new archbishop would be determined within six weeks. However, the decision-making process in the Vatican was delayed, not least due to the death of Pope Francis. One possible new archbishop being considered is the Bishop of the Diocese of Innsbruck, Hermann Glettler. However, surprises in the search are, as so often, quite possible.

Pope Francis' successor quickly took up work, and since mid-May, Pope Leo XIV has been appointing new bishops again. His first personnel decision concerned an auxiliary bishop in Peru. The fact that the new pope himself worked in the South American country for many years is interpreted in the church as pure coincidence. Nevertheless, he is likely to continue his predecessor's line and prioritize dioceses in Latin America as well as Asia, considering the further bishop appointments.

Final Decision with Pope Leo

The main responsibility for the search for the new archbishop lies with the Dicastery for Bishops in the Vatican, which coordinates closely with the nuncio - the "ambassador" of the Vatican in Austria. The current pope himself was the chairman of the dicastery, and a successor has not yet been appointed. Nevertheless, the final decision rests with the Holy Father, who usually approves the personnel decision with his signature. The appointment is communicated in the papal Bollettino.

(APA/Red)

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