200 years of Salzburg cathedral chapter: an anniversary full of tradition and faith

200 years of Salzburg cathedral chapter: an anniversary full of tradition and faith

The Salzburg cathedral chapter is celebrating a remarkable anniversary this year: 200 years after its official new foundation in 1825, it will be celebrated on September 25, 2025 with a festival service in the Salzburg Cathedral. The origins of this important body go back to 925 when one of the first priesthood communities in Salzburg was created. Today the chapter eleven priests of the Archdiocese, including Dompropst Auxiliary Bishop Hansjörg Hofer and Domdechant Gottfried Laireiter. This institution plays a central role in the administration of the cathedral church and its properties as well as the design of liturgy and cathedral music, as the cathedral chapter explained in a message

influential tradition and responsibility

The cathedral chapter has established itself as an indispensable institution over the centuries, the history of which is characterized by power and influence. Already in the High Middle Ages, the canons became a weighty counterweight to the archbishop. It was also their job to choose the archbishop, which was in their free decision until the introduction of the concordat between the Holy Stuhl and Austria in 1934. At that time the procedure was set and the chapter has been bound to a triple proposal from Rome since then, from which it has to choose a candidate. This illustrates how the cathedral chapter still plays an important role in the church policy of Salzburg, even if the composition and working method has changed in the past three decades, as well as Salzburg.gv.at

The current cathedral capitular Roland Kerschbaum emphasizes the essential tasks of the chapter: "Our main task is the administration of the cathedral, its properties as well as the cathedral liturgy and the maintenance of the community in prayer." He has been a member of the cathedral chapter since 2013 and has been committed to the concerns of the approximately 900 buildings in Salzburg and Tyrol over the years. In the modern liturgy, the chapter brings different interests under one hat and promotes harmonious coexistence, while it sees itself as a community of prayer in which the members support each other, as well as kathpress.at emphasized.