Christoph Schönborn

Who is Christoph Schönborn?

Christoph Maria Michael Hugo Damian Peter Adalbert Graf von Schönborn, O.P., is a Bohemian-born Austrian Dominican friar and theologian, who is a cardinal of the Catholic Church. He serves as the Archbishop of Vienna and President of the Austrian Bishops' Conference. He was elevated to the cardinalate in 1998. He is also the chaplain of the Order of the Golden Fleece, of which he has been a member since 1961. He is a member of the formerly sovereign princely House of Schönborn, several members of which held high offices of the Holy Roman Empire and the Catholic Church.

Schönborn was seen as a leading candidate for the papacy because he is conservative, albeit a "balanced reformer" who is well liked by all factions of the church and noted for his tolerant views, diplomatic skills and openness to dialogue. In particular, he is recognized for his ability to mediate between the conservative and reformist wings of the Church. Schönborn has travelled widely and is well known in the Catholic Church globally for editing the Catechism of the Catholic Church.