Damon Mcknight
The Catholic Church in Austria is composed of two ecclesiastical provinces and seven suffragan dioceses of the western Latin Church, as well as an exempt military ordinate and a territorial abbey, both of the Latin Rite. The country's location along the Danube has long been considered the crossroads of Europe, and the Austrian Catholic Church has a long history, with the Abbey of St. Peter being the oldest monastery still in existence in the country.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Location | Along the Danube in Europe |
| Composition | Two ecclesiastical provinces and 7 suffragan dioceses of the western Latin Church |
| Other components | An exempt military ordinate, a territorial abbey, an ordinariate for Eastern Catholic faithful, and a Byzantine Rite |
| Abbeys | St. Peter (the oldest monastery in Austria) and Nonnberg |
| Diocese | Salzburg |
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What You'll Learn
The Catholic Church in Austria
The Austrian Catholic Church is the largest Christian confession in the country, with 4.64 million members (50.6% of the total Austrian population) in 2023. However, the proportion of Catholics has been decreasing over the years, mainly due to secularization and migration. In 1961, 89% of the population identified as Catholic, but this number had dropped to 52% in 2022. The number of Sunday churchgoers has also seen a decline, with around 3.1% of the total Austrian population attending mass in 2021.
There is also a movement within the Austrian Catholic Church called "Call to Disobedience" (Aufruf zum Ungehorsam in German), which started in 2006. This group is primarily composed of dissident Catholic priests and favors certain reforms within the Church. They support the ordination of women, a married and non-celibate priesthood, and allowing Holy Communion for remarried divorcees and non-Catholics, which goes against the teachings of the Catholic Magisterium. They also believe that the Church's governance needs to be restructured.
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The Austrian Episcopal Conference
The task of the Austrian Episcopal Conference is to study and promote common pastoral undertakings, mutual advice, and the necessary coordination of ecclesial activity, the joint issuing of juridical norms, and the fostering of relationships with other Bishops’ Conferences. An important area of focus is the relationship between the church, state, and society in Austria. The Conference typically meets three times a year (in spring, summer, and autumn) in what is known as the General Assembly, which is the main body of the Conference. The Plenary Assembly, meanwhile, is chaired by the President of the Austrian Bishops’ Conference, who is elected for a term of six years and represents the Conference externally.
The Episcopal Conference of Austria has had several prominent leaders over the years. Cardinal Friedrich Gustav Piffl, C.R.S.A. served as President from 1918 to 1931. He was followed by Cardinal Hans Hermann Groer, O.S.B. (1988–1995), and then Cardinal Christoph Schönborn O.P. (1998–2020). Archbishop Franz Lackner O.F.M. served as Vice-President from 2015 to 2020 and is currently the Chairman of the Conference, as well as the Archbishop of Salzburg.
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The Diocese of Lavant
The bishops of the Diocese of Lavant held the title of prince-bishops, although this was purely honorary. They did not possess secular authority over a self-ruling prince-bishopric, unlike a significant number of bishops within the Holy Roman Empire. The first suffragan bishop was Ulrich, who served until his death in 1257. Dietrich von Wolfsau, the tenth bishop, is noted as the first honorific prince-bishop in deeds.
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The Diocese of Rome
The Catholic Church in Austria is currently composed of two ecclesiastical provinces and seven suffragan dioceses of the western Latin Church. There is also an exempt military ordinate and a territorial abbey, both of Latin Rite, as well as an ordinariate for Eastern Catholic faithful of Byzantine Rite.
The history of the Catholic Church in Austria is long and complex. After Vatican II, the dioceses organized a series of synods to implement the conciliar directives. Rome gave special permission for the laity to participate in these meetings as voting members. The Austrian Episcopal Conference, first held in 1849, worked closely with the German and Swiss episcopal conferences on reform in the liturgy.
Several bishoprics have been incorporated into different dioceses over the years. For example, the Diocese of Lavant included several bishoprics, including the district of Völkermarkt in Carinthia, which was later transferred to the Diocese of Gurk in 1859. The Vicariate of Feldkirch was established for the Diocese of Brixen, and 600 new parishes were founded.
The Austrian Bishops' Conference has also played an important role in supporting the Pope's directives. In 1968, they issued a statement in support of Pope Paul VI's encyclical Humanae vitae, while also indicating that individual couples had to make their own decisions in matters of family planning.
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The Diocese of Salzburg
The current Archbishop of Salzburg is Franz Lackner, who has served since 2013. Lackner was born in Styria and was ordained as a priest at the age of 35. Prior to joining the clergy, he completed an apprenticeship as an electrician and served as a United Nations soldier in Cyprus from 1978 to 1979. He then completed his secondary education at an advanced high school before entering the Franciscan Order in 1984 and being ordained in 1991.
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Frequently asked questions
The Catholic Church in Austria is composed of two ecclesiastical provinces and seven suffragan dioceses of the western Latin Church, an exempt military ordinate, and a territorial abbey, both of the Latin Rite.
The oldest monastery in Austria is the Abbey of St. Peter.
Another abbey located in Austria is the Abbey of Nonnberg.
The Austrian Episcopal Conference was first held in 1849.
There are 12 dioceses in Austria.
