Friedrich Gustav Piffl

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Styles of
Friedrich Gustav Cardinal Piffl
Reference style His Eminence
Spoken style Your Eminence
Informal style Cardinal
See Vienna


His Eminence Friedrich Gustav Cardinal Piffl (15 October 1864 - 21 April 1932) was a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and was former Archbishop of Vienna.

Gustav Piffl was born in Lanškroun, Bohemia in what was then Austria-Hungary. He was the son of Rudolf Piffl who was a bookseller and shopkeeper. He volunteered for a year in the Austrian army in his early life. After deciding to become a priest he entered the Teutonic College of S. Maria in Camposanto in Rome and later the Sankt'Augustine monastery, Austria. He joined the Congregation of the Canons Regular of Saint Augustine in 1883 taking the name Friedrich. He finished his studies at the University of Vienna where he studied philosophy.

[edit] Priesthood

He was ordained on 8 January 1888. He worked in the Archdiocese of Vienna from 1888 until 1892 in spiritual work. He was the Pastor and prior of the collegiate church of Klosterneuburg until 1913 and its provost from 1907 to 1913.

[edit] Episcopate

Pope Pius X appointed him Archbishop of Vienna on 2 May 1913. He was consecrated on 1 June 1913. Pope Pius raised him to the Cardinalate, creating him Cardinal-Priest of S. Marco on 25 May 1914. He participated in the conclaves of 1914 that elected Pope Benedict XV and 1922 that elected Pope Pius XI. He died in 1932 in Vienna at the age of 67.


Religious titles
Preceded by
Franz Cardinal Nagl
Archbishop of Vienna
2 May 191321 April 1932
Succeeded by
Theodor Innitzer