Austrian Bishops’ Conference Faces Historic Leadership Shift After Archbishop’s Exit
Archbishop Franz Lackner, who has served as the president of the Austrian Bishops’ Conference since June 2020, is set to step down from his position. This move will mark a significant realignment of the body, as the next zoom meeting will see a first in its history.
The 75-year-old Lackner, who has held the office for nearly three years, will not be eligible for re-election due to reaching the age of 75 during his term. Traditionally, the conference president has been one of the two archbishops of Salzburg or Vienna. Lackner, who also serves as the conference’s media bishop and has international connections through the Focolare Movement, is currently presiding over the autumn zoom meeting of the Bishops’ Conference in Vienna-Liesing.
Only five bishops are realistically eligible to replace Archbishop Lackner as president. Among them, Bishop Wilhelm Krautwaschl of Graz is considered a strong candidate for the presidency. The president of the Bishops’ Conference is elected for a six-year term and must not reach 75 during that period.
The upcoming zoom meeting will see a change in leadership, with Archbishop Lackner stepping down and a new president being elected. This realignment will bring a fresh perspective to the Austrian Bishops’ Conference.
