Cardinal Schönborn: A life's work of love and care in Vienna

Cardinal Schönborn: A life's work of love and care in Vienna

In the Vienna St. Stephen's Cathedral, a special celebration took place on Saturday evening in honor of Cardinal Christoph Schönborn. Priests and believers of the Catholic Eastern Churches represented in Austria thanked the archbishop for his three decades long services. Schönborn, who turns 80 in January and will probably receive a successor, has played a crucial role as the Ordinarius of the church connected to Rome. Representatives of the Eastern Church, led by Vicar of General Yuriy Kolasa, emphasized that many believers found a new home through their care, especially after flight or migration, such as kathpress.at reported.

growth and appreciation

In the course of this celebration, Kolasa emphasized that under Schönborn's leadership the number of pastoral contact points has grown from only three to 35, which reflects the growing importance of the Eastern Churches in Austria. In his sermon, Schönborn himself emphasized that he also came to Austria as a refugee and called on to find gratitude in everyday life. "The word 'thank you' has a transformative strength," he said, recalling the small and large gestures of gratitude. The colorful liturgy in the Byzantine rite, which included Ukrainian, Romanian and Chaldean choirs, reflected the variety of the Eastern Churches.

The cardinal will continue to act as an Ordinarius for the Eastern Churches after his resignation as an archbishop of Vienna until a successor is appointed. This shows not only his close connection with these communities, but also the trust that the Eastern Churches have put into his leadership. "We are only pilgrims on earth, because our true home is in heaven," emphasized Schönborn, thereby delivering an inspiring message for the future that the Eastern Churches are not only migrants but missionaries in Austria, which he continued in his sermon.