Austria's Catholic Roots: Exploring Religious History

Austria is a predominantly Catholic country, with 50.6% of its population identifying as Roman Catholic in 2023. The country has a long history of Catholicism, dating back to the Habsburg monarchy, which championed the religion. While there has been a decline in recent years, with an increase in secularization and migration, the Catholic Church remains the largest Christian confession in Austria, and the country continues to be largely influenced by Catholic traditions and values.

Austria's Catholic history

Austria has a long Catholic history, and the country is still predominantly Catholic today. In 2023, 50.6% of the population identified as Roman Catholic, and the country has been a centre of Catholicism for centuries.

Early History of Catholicism in Austria

Austria was the centre of the Habsburg monarchy (1273–1918), which championed Roman Catholicism. The country was historically strongly Catholic, and the Habsburgs viewed themselves as the vanguard of Catholicism.

The Protestant Reformation and Counter-Reformation

In the 16th century, as the Protestant Reformation spread across Europe, many Austrians converted to Protestantism, particularly Lutheranism. By the Council of Trent in 1545, almost half of the Austrian population had converted to Lutheranism, while a minority also endorsed Calvinism.

However, the Habsburgs enacted measures of Counter-Reformation as early as 1527, and harshly repressed Austrian Protestantism. They imposed a strict regime to restore the influence of the Catholic Church, and their campaign was successful.

Religious Freedom in the 18th and 19th Centuries

In 1781, during the era of Austrian enlightenment, Emperor Joseph II issued a Patent of Tolerance, which allowed other confessions a limited freedom of worship.

In 1867, religious freedom was declared a constitutional right in Cisleithania after the Austro-Hungarian Ausgleich, recognising the presence of numerous religions in the monarchy besides Catholicism, including Greek, Serbian, Romanian, Russian, and Bulgarian Orthodox Christians, Calvinists, Lutheran Protestants, and Jews.

20th Century to Today

In the 20th century, about 74% of Austria's population were registered as Roman Catholic, with around 5% considering themselves Protestants. However, Catholicism has gradually declined in Austria over the past decades. As of 2021, the number of Catholics in Austria was 4.93 million (55%), and the number of Protestants was 340,300 (3.8%).

The Austrian Conference of Catholic Bishops

The Austrian Bishops' Conference was established as a formal body under public law in 1849. Its legal position as a formal corporation under public law and as a representative body of a state-recognised religious community was confirmed by a 1933 concordat between the Holy See and the First Austrian Republic. The Conference functions in accordance with the Documents of the Second Vatican Council, the 1983 Code of Canon Law, and its own constitutions.

The current president of the Conference of Catholic Bishops is Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, who belongs to the Central European noble family of Schönborn. The Conference's chairman is Franz Lackner, the Archbishop of Salzburg. Other members include:

• Cardinal Christoph Schönborn O.P., Archbishop of Vienna (Deputy Chairman)
• Manfred Scheuer, Bishop of Linz
• Alois Schwarz, Bishop of Sankt Pölten
• Werner Freistetter, Military Ordinary of Austria
• Josef Marketz, Bishop of Gurk
• Benno Elbs, Bishop of Feldkirch
• Wilhelm Krautwaschl, Bishop of Graz-Seckau
• Aegidius Zsifkovics, Bishop of Eisenstadt
• Hermann Glettler, Bishop of Innsbruck
• Franz Scharl, Auxiliary Bishop of Vienna
• Stephan Turnovszky, Auxiliary Bishop of Vienna
• Hansjörg Hofer, Auxiliary Bishop of Salzburg
• Anton Leichtfried, Auxiliary Bishop of Sankt Pölten
• Vinzenz Wohlwend, Abbot of Wettingen-Mehrerau Abbey

Religious freedom in Austria

Austria's constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the government generally respects this right in practice. The country's constitutional documents provide for freedom of religious belief and affiliation, and prohibit religious discrimination. The Basic Law on the General Rights of Nationals of 1867 guarantees every resident in Austria the right to join any church or religious community by free choice, to leave such a group at their own discretion, or to abstain from belonging to any of them.

The Austrian legal system is to be qualified as religiously neutral. This principle precludes any identification of the state with a specific church or religious community and the tasks and objectives of the state are exclusively non-spiritual. The state and church are considered partners on an equal footing, each acknowledging the independence and autonomy of the other.

Austria has 16 legally recognised churches and religious communities, and 10 state-registered confessional communities. To be legally recognised, a religious group must have existed for at least 20 years, with at least 10 years in an organised form and at least five years as a confessional community. They must also have a membership of at least 0.2% of the country's population. Legally recognised groups have the right to practise communal public worship, arrange and administer their internal affairs autonomously, and retain possession of their institutions, endowments and funds. They can also found private confessional establishments for instruction and education, and provide religious instruction in state schools.

In 2023, Austria was scored 3 out of 4 for religious freedom. In 2021, the government established a new staff unit to fight antisemitism sentiment and violence.

Decline in Austrian Catholicism

Austria has been historically Catholic, with the religion being championed by the Habsburg monarchy from 1273 to 1918. However, since the 1970s, there has been a notable decline in Austrian Catholicism.

The Impact of the Protestant Reformation

The Protestant Reformation, which began in 1517, saw a significant number of Austrians convert to Protestantism, particularly Lutheranism. By the Council of Trent in 1545, almost half of the Austrian population had converted to Lutheranism. However, the Habsburgs responded with harsh Counter-Reformation measures, repressing Austrian Protestantism and restoring Catholicism as the dominant religion.

The Impact of World War II

The events of World War II significantly impacted the Catholic community in Austria. During the Anschluss, the Catholic Church faced oppression and persecution, with many religious leaders and laypersons being deported to concentration camps, tortured, executed, or driven to suicide. Since the end of the war, the Catholic religion and the church's influence have been on a steady decline.

Secularism and Religious Freedom

The end of World War II also brought about stricter secularism in Austria, reducing the influence of religion on politics. Additionally, religious freedom is guaranteed in the Austrian constitution, allowing individuals the right to choose, practice, and publicly exercise their religion or choose not to affiliate with any religion.

Social and Cultural Factors

The younger generation of Austrians tends to be less devout than their older counterparts. It is common for younger Austrians to withdraw their membership from the Catholic Church when they become adults due to the 'Kirchensteuer' or 'Kirchenbeitrag' (church tax), which is calculated based on income. Additionally, revelations of past mistreatment of children by Catholic religious leaders have also contributed to the decline in Catholicism.

Immigration and Diversity

Austria has also experienced a radical change in its religious composition due to immigration. The number of Muslims in Austria has increased due to immigration from countries like Turkey, former Yugoslavia, and the Balkans. This has led to a more diverse Islamic community, with various ethnic groups and backgrounds.

Statistics on the Decline

The decline in Austrian Catholicism is evident in census data. Between the 1971 and 2021 censuses, Catholicism declined from 87.4% to 55.2% of the Austrian population. More recently, in the 2021 national survey, 80.9% of Christians in Austria identified as Catholics, down from 87.4% in the 2001 census.

Catholicism in Austrian politics

Catholicism has historically played a significant role in Austrian politics, with the country having been the centre of the Catholic Habsburg monarchy from 1273 to 1918. The Habsburgs viewed themselves as the vanguard of Catholicism and enacted strict Counter-Reformation measures to suppress Protestantism. In the 18th century, Emperor Joseph II issued a Patent of Tolerance, allowing limited freedom of worship to other religions. However, the Catholic Church continued to hold significant influence, as evidenced by the later establishment of the Concordat of 1933, which governed the relationship between the Austrian state and the Holy See.

In the 20th century, the Christian Socialist Engelbert Dollfuss became chancellor in 1932 and implemented social programs influenced by Catholic thinkers. However, his authoritarian methods and opposition to the Socialist party ultimately led to his assassination by Nazi operatives in 1934. Following World War II, Austria experienced a period of secularisation, with the Church confining itself to the private sector. Despite this, Catholicism remained a prominent force, with the Austrian Episcopal Conference actively participating in political issues such as refugee support and worldwide mission activity.

In recent years, the influence of Catholicism in Austrian politics has continued to evolve. In 2000, the number of Catholics in Austria decreased significantly, with many choosing to leave the Church to avoid paying the Church tax. Additionally, the Church has faced challenges in aligning its social policies with those of the nationalist Freedom Party, whose leaders have been accused of espousing anti-Semitic and Nazi-supporting viewpoints. Nevertheless, the Church continues to hold influence in Austrian society, with Cardinal Christoph Schönborn assuring Catholics of their ability to overcome problems through faith.

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