Archbishop Franc Kramberger (born 7 October 1936) is a Slovenian

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

prelate who served as a Bishop of the Diocese of Maribor from 6 November 1980 until 7 April 2006 and as an Archbishop of the newly elevated Archdiocese of Maribor since 7 April 2006 until his resignation on 3 February 2011.

Education

Archbishop Kramberger was born into a Roman Catholic family in the

Slovene Hills The Slovene Hills or the Slovenian Hills ( sl, Slovenske gorice, german: Windische Bühel or ) is the largest hilly region of Slovenia, a smaller part is located in the Austrian province of Styria. It is situated in the northeast of the country and ...

in the present day

Municipality of Lenart The Municipality of Lenart (; sl, Občina Lenart) is a municipality in northeastern Slovenia. It has just over 11,000 inhabitants. It is considered the centre of the Slovene Hills ( sl, Slovenske gorice). The area is part of the traditional regio ...

. After finishing primary school, which he attended in his native town and graduation a classical gymnasium #1 in

Maribor Maribor ( , , , ; also known by other #Name, historical names) is the second-largest city in Slovenia and the largest city of the traditional region of Styria (Slovenia), Lower Styria. It is also the seat of the City Municipality of Maribor, th ...

in 1954, he was admitted to the Major Theological Seminary in

Ljubljana Ljubljana (also known by other historical names) is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center. During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the ar ...

and in the same time joined the Theological Faculty at the

University of Ljubljana The University of Ljubljana ( sl, Univerza v Ljubljani, , la, Universitas Labacensis), often referred to as UL, is the oldest and largest university in Slovenia. It has approximately 39,000 enrolled students. History Beginnings Although certain ...

, where he studied from 1954 until 1960 and was ordained as

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

on June 29, 1960 for the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Lavant The Diocese of Lavant(tal) ( la, Lavantina) was a suffragan bishop, suffragan bishopric of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Salzburg, Archdiocese of Salzburg, established 1228 in the Lavanttal, Lavant Valley of Duchy of Carinthia, Carinthia. In ...

(as in this time was named the Diocese of Maribor), after completed his philosophical and theological studies. Coat of arms of Franc Kramberger

Pastoral and educational work

After his ordination Fr. Kramberger served as a chaplain in the parish of the Most Holy Body in

(1960–1965) and after that as a prefect in the Slomšek Minor Seminary in Maribor (1965–1972) and the Director of this educational institute (1972–1980). In the same time he continued his postgraduate studies at the

with a

Doctor of Theology Doctor of Theology ( la, Doctor Theologiae, abbreviated DTh, ThD, DTheol, or Dr. theol.) is a terminal degree in the academic discipline of theology. The ThD, like the ecclesiastical Doctor of Sacred Theology, is an advanced research degree equiva ...

degree in 1973.

Prelate

On November 6, 1980, he was appointed by

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

as the Diocesan Bishop of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Maribor The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Maribor ( la, Archidioecesis Mariborensis, sl, Nadškofija Maribor) is an archdiocese located in the city of Maribor in Slovenia. History * 1859 : Maribor (then Marburg) became the see of the Diocese of Lavant ...

. On December 21, 1980, he was consecrated as bishop by Apostolic Pro-nuncio to Yugoslavia, Archbishop

Michele Cecchini Michele Cecchini (3 March 1920 – 26 April 1989) was an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who devoted his entire career to the diplomatic service of the Holy See. He became an archbishop in 1969 and served as an Apostolic Nuncio from 1969 unti ...

and other prelates of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

in the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in

. On April 7, 2006,

Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...

erected three new dioceses in

Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...

: in

Celje ) , pushpin_map = Slovenia , pushpin_label_position = left , pushpin_map_caption = Location of the city of Celje in Slovenia , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Cou ...

Murska Sobota Murska Sobota (, Slovenian abbreviation: ''MS'' ; german: Olsnitz;''Radkersburg und Luttenberg'' (map, 1:75,000). 1894. Vienna: K.u.k. Militärgeographisches Institut. hu, Muraszombat) is a town in northeastern Slovenia. It is the centre of the ...

and in

Novo Mesto Novo Mesto (; sl, Novo mesto; also known by other alternative names) is a city on a bend of the Krka River in the City Municipality of Novo Mesto in southeastern Slovenia, close to the border with Croatia. The town is traditionally considered t ...

, and elevated the former diocese of Maribor to the archdiocese and metropolis status. Mons. Kramberger became the first Archbishop of the newly elevated Archdiocese of Maribor. The several terms he served as the Vice-President of the

Episcopal Conference of Slovenia Slovenian Bishops' Conference (SBC; sl, Slovenska škofovska konferenca, ) is the supreme authority of the Roman Catholic Church in Slovenia, which combines all the bishops of Slovenian dioceses and archdioceses: Archdiocese of Ljubljana, Archdi ...

and from December 6, 2004 until March 16, 2007 was its President. He resigned on February 3, 2011, citing his approaching 75 years of age as the reason for the resignation. The archdiocese was in serious financial difficulties at the time.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kramberger, Franc 1936 births Living people People from the Municipality of Lenart University of Ljubljana alumni 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Slovenia 21st-century Roman Catholic archbishops in Slovenia Slovenian Roman Catholic archbishops 20th-century Slovenian Roman Catholic priests Bishops appointed by Pope John Paul II