Christoph Cardinal Schönborn

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**Christoph Cardinal Schönborn**


Church positions
See	Vienna
Title	Cardinal Archbishop of Vienna
Period in office	September 14, 1995—present
Raised to cardinalate	February 21, 1998
Predecessor	Hans Cardinal Groër
Successor	incumbent
Previous post	Coadjutor Archbishop of Vienna
Personal
Date of birth	January 22, 1945
Place of birth	Bohemia, Czech Republic

His Eminence Christoph Cardinal Schönborn, OP (born January 22, 1945) is an Austrian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He currently serves as Archbishop of Vienna, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1998.

1 Biography
2 Statement on evolution
3 References
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Biography

Count Christoph Maria Michael Hugo Damian Peter Adalbert von Schönborn was born at Skalken castle, west of Leitmeritz, Bohemia (now Czech Republic), the second son of the Count Hugo Damian von Schönborn and Baroness Eleonore Ottilie Hilda Maria von Doblhoff. They divorced in 1959. He has two brothers and one sister. He belongs to the old Central European noble family of Schönborn, several members of which held high posts in the Catholic Church.

In September 1945, his family was forced to flee from Bohemia. Schönborn entered the Order of Friars Preachers, and took his Matura exam in 1963. He studied theology, philosophy and psychology in Bornheim-Walberberg, Vienna, and Paris. He was ordained to the priesthood by Franz Cardinal König on December 27, 1970 in Vienna, and later studied in Regensburg under Fr. Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI). From 1975 he was professor at Freiburg im Üechtland. In 1980, he became a member of the International Theological Commission of the Holy See, and in 1987 he became editorial secretary for the World Catechism.

Styles of Christoph Cardinal Schönborn

Reference style	His Eminence
Spoken style	Your Eminence
Informal style	Cardinal
See	Vienna

He became a coadjutor of the Archbishop of Vienna on 11 April 1995 and Archbishop of Vienna on 14 September 1995.

He was created Cardinal Priest of Gesù Divin Lavoratore by Pope John Paul II in the consistory of February 21, 1998. Considered among the papabili following John Paul's death, Schönborn was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that selected Pope Benedict XVI.

Cardinal Schönborn also serves as the chaplain to the Austrian Order of the Golden Fleece, and can speak six languages including his native German, English, French, and Italian.

[edit] Statement on evolution

In an editorial in the New York Times on 7 July 2005 ^[1] Schönborn criticized "neo-Darwinian" theories of evolution as incompatible with Catholic teaching:

"EVER since 1996, when Pope John Paul II said that evolution (a term he did not define) was 'more than just a hypothesis,' defenders of neo-Darwinian dogma have often invoked the supposed acceptance -- or at least acquiescence -- of the Roman Catholic Church when they defend their theory as somehow compatible with Christian faith.

"But this is not true. The Catholic Church, while leaving to science many details about the history of life on earth, proclaims that by the light of reason the human intellect can readily and clearly discern purpose and design in the natural world, including the world of living things. Evolution in the sense of common ancestry might be true, but evolution in the neo-Darwinian sense -- an unguided, unplanned process of random variation and natural selection -- is not. Any system of thought that denies or seeks to explain away the overwhelming evidence for design in biology is ideology, not science."

This statement unleashed considerable controversy, including public criticism of Schönborn's views by the director of the Vatican Observatory, Fr George Coyne SJ ^[2], and a response by Catholic physicist Stephen Barr in the Catholic periodical "First Things" ^[3], to which Schönborn in turn replied ^[4].

Schönborn later clarified that while "unguided, unplanned" evolution is not consistent with Christian faith [1], he has no problem with a theistic (God-guided) evolution (see theistic evolution), recognizes the great work of Darwin and the progress of science, that science and faith answer different questions, and they need not conflict if one respects each's worldview.

Schönborn discusses evolution and Intelligent Design with philosopher Robert Spaemann (2006).

In an October 2005 catechetical lecture ^[5] he stated

"....Darwin undoubtedly scored a brilliant coup, and it remains a great oeuvre [work] in the history of ideas. With an astounding gift for observation, enormous diligence, and mental prowess, he succeeded in producing one of that history's most influential works. He could already see in advance that his research would create many areas of endeavor. Today one can truly say that the 'evolution' paradigm has become, so to speak, a 'master key,' extending itself within many fields of knowledge....I see no difficulty in joining belief in the Creator with the theory of evolution, but under the prerequisite that the borders of scientific theory are maintained. In the citations given above (from Julian Huxley, Will Provine, Peter Atkins), it is unequivocally the case that such have been violated. When science adheres to its own method, it cannot come into conflict with faith. But perhaps one finds it difficult to stay within one's territory, for we are, after all, not simply scientists but also human beings, with feelings, who struggle with faith, human beings, who seek the meaning of life. And thus as natural scientists we are constantly and inevitably bringing in questions reflecting worldviews....I am thankful for the immense work of the natural sciences. Their furthering of our knowledge boggles the mind. They do not restrict faith in the creation; they strengthen me in my belief in the Creator and in how wisely and wonderfully He has made all things."

This series of Catechetical Lectures is to be published as a book on the creation and evolution issue.

[edit] References

^ Schönborn's editorial, The New York Times, 7 July 2005 "Finding Design in Nature"
^ "Intelligent Design belittles God, Vatican director says", Catholic Online, 30 Jan 2006
^ S. Barr, "The Design of Evolution", First Things, Oct 2005
^ C. Schönborn, "The designs of science", First Things, January 2006
^ C. Schönborn, "Creation and Evolution: To the Debate As It Stands", 2 October 2005 Catechetical Lecture at St. Stephan's Cathedral, Vienna