On Monday, Pope Francis appointed four bishops, as reported in the Vatican's "Bollettino." It is still unclear who will succeed Cardinal Christoph Schönborn as Archbishop of Vienna.

Vatican Reports Slight Improvement in Pope Francis

The Pope accepted Schönborn's resignation on his 80th birthday. With Josef Grünwidl, a confidant of Schönborn took over the interim leadership of the archdiocese, as "Apostolic Administrator" he is to manage it until the Pope fills the vacant bishop's seat. He does not make decisions that would bind the future officeholder. Once Schönborn's permanent successor is determined, this will also be announced in the "Bollettino." Recently, there was hope in the Vatican for the Pope's recovery: After there was talk of a slight improvement in his health condition on Monday evening, the head of the Roman Catholic Church spent another quiet night in the clinic.

Schönborn No Longer Eligible to Vote in Next Papal Election

Schönborn will no longer participate in the next papal election. Only cardinals who are not yet 80 years old are allowed to cast their vote in the conclave. If Schönborn's succession is not yet settled by the time a new pope needs to be elected, the conclave and the inauguration of Francis' successor must be awaited. Schönborn's resignation was accepted by the Holy See on January 22. The Vatican's appointment of Grünwidl as administrator for the archdiocese was interpreted as a signal for an imminent succession decision. At that time, church circles expected it to take six to eight weeks. However, several favorites for the succession are said to have declined. Among those considered were the former Caritas President Michael Landau and the Bishop of the Diocese of Innsbruck, Hermann Glettler.

(APA/Red)

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