Franz Jáchym (3 September 1910 – 29 November 1984) was an

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'pre ...

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 ...

who served as Coadjutor Bishop of

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

from 1950–83, and as Titular Archbishop of Maronea. He graduated from the

University of Vienna The University of Vienna (german: Universität Wien) is a public research university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world. With its long and rich hist ...

. After ordination, his served in a parish and the diocesan chancery before being appointed coadjutor bishop in 1950. Consecrated in May 1950 by Cardinal

Theodor Innitzer Theodor Innitzer (25 December 1875 – 9 October 1955) was Archbishop of Vienna and a cardinal of the Catholic Church. Early life Innitzer was born in Neugeschrei (Nové Zvolání), part of the town Weipert (Vejprty) in Bohemia, at that time ...

, he served in that office until his retirement in 1983.

Biography

Early life and education

Jáchym was born on 3 September 1910 in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

. Orphaned at age eight, in 1925 he entered the Knabenseminar Hollabrunn , a

minor seminary A minor seminary or high school seminary is a secondary day or boarding school created for the specific purpose of enrolling teenage boys who have expressed interest in becoming Catholic priests. They are generally Catholic institutions, and de ...

in Vienna. He passed the

matriculation examination A matriculation examination or matriculation exam is a university entrance examination, which is typically held towards the end of secondary school. After passing the examination, a student receives a school leaving certificate recognising academi ...

on 20 June 1931, and entered the

Seminary of Vienna The Archiepiscopal Seminary of Vienna (German language, German: ''Erzbischöfliches Priesterseminar Wien''), commonly referred to in German as the Wiener Priesterseminar, is a Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Seminary, major seminary that serves as ...

, and also studied theology at the

. In the late 1930s he returned to the University of Vienna to study moral theology, earning his Doctor of Divinity on 3 December 1941.

Priesthood

Jáchym was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform ...

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 partic ...

on 19 July 1936. Three months after ordination, he was sent to

Purkersdorf Purkersdorf is a municipality in the district of Sankt Pölten-Land District, in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. The Sandstein-Wienerwald natural park, a part of the Vienna Woods, is situated on its territory. The municipality belonged to Wien ...

, where he served as

parochial vicar A vicar (; Latin: ''vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pre ...

of the parish there until returning to work in the chancery of the

Archdiocese of Vienna The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vienna ( la, Archidioecesis Viennensis) is an archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Austria. It was erected as the Diocese of Vienna on 18 January 1469 out of the Diocese of Passau, and elevated to an archdio ...

soon after. On 7 October 1938, he participated in the Rosary demonstration , a demonstration in which 6,000 Catholics came together for a rosary devotion in protest of the Nazi occupation of Austria. The next day, Nazi soldiers stormed and vandalized the Episcopal Palace in Vienna, and Jachym was injured in the violence that ensued. On 10 May 1947, Jáchym earned habilitation, and in 1949 he was appointed professor of

Catholic moral theology Catholic moral theology is a major category of doctrine in the Catholic Church, equivalent to a religious ethics. Moral theology encompasses Catholic social teaching, Catholic medical ethics, sexual ethics, and various doctrines on individua ...

at the University of Vienna.

Episcopacy

On 20 January 1950, Jáchym was appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Vienna and Titular Archbishop of Vienna. He arrived at St. Stephen's Cathedral for what was supposed to be his episcopal consecration on 23 April 1950. However, before the ceremony could take place, he stood up and addressed the congregation, saying that he did not "feel worthy of such an honor", before leaving the cathedral, where a car was waiting for him, and returning to his apartment. Later, canons of the cathedral recalled that the purple robe, the biretta, and shoes he was wearing were not even his, but were borrowed from the cathedral sacristy. Jáchym firmly declined to become a bishop, but Pope Pius XII refused to accept his decision. His consecration was rescheduled to 19 May 1950, and took place in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

and the church of

Santa Maria dell'Anima , native_name= , image=Santa Maria del Anima I.jpg , caption=Façade of the church. , mapframe=yes , mapframe-caption=Click on the map for a fullscreen view , mapframe-zoom=12 , mapframe-marker=religious-christian , coordinates= , location=Via di ...

Archbishop of Vienna The Archbishop of Vienna is the prelate of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vienna who is concurrently the metropolitan bishop of its ecclesiastical province which includes the dioceses of Eisenstadt, Linz and St. Pölten. From 1469 to 1513, bi ...

Cardinal

was

principal consecrator A consecrator is a bishop who ordains someone to the episcopacy. A co-consecrator is someone who assists the consecrator bishop in the act of ordaining a new bishop. The terms are used in the canon law of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Churches, ...

, with bishops Michael Keller and

Alois Hudal Alois Karl Hudal (also known as Luigi Hudal; 31 May 188513 May 1963) was an Austrian bishop of the Catholic Church, based in Rome. For thirty years, he was the head of the Austrian-German congregation of Santa Maria dell'Anima in Rome and, until ...

serving as co-consecrators. While there are varying accounts as to why Jáchym chose to reject his episcopal consecration in the first place, he did remain loyal to his office and to the archbishop, both Innitzer and his successor, Cardinal

Franz König Franz König (3 August 1905 – 13 March 2004) was an Austrian Cardinal of the Catholic Church. He served as archbishop of Vienna from 1956 to 1985, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1958. The last surviving cardinal elevated by Pope John ...

. As coadjutor bishop, he led the building department of the Archdiocese of Vienna, building new churches and commissioning artwork. From 1952-56, he served as Chairman of the

Austrian Bishops' Conference The Austrian Bishops' Conference (german: Österreichische Bischofskonferenz) is the official assembly of the Roman Catholic bishops of Austria. It is the supreme authority of the Roman Catholic Church in Austria, established as a formal body und ...

. In 1956, he took over leadership of the archdiocesan offices. From 1963-65, he took part in the

Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions), each lasting between 8 and ...

. From 1 September 1969 to 31 December 1980, he was

vicar general A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop' ...

of the archdiocese, succeeding Jakob Weinbach. On 30 September 1972, he became

dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean Titles * ...

of St. Stephen's Cathedral and Chancellor of the Faculty of Catholic Theology at the University of Vienna. On 15 September 1983, he resigned from his positions, aged 73. Jachym-Denkmal

Later life and death

After retiring, Jáchym retired to an apartment in Vienna, one that would later be lived in by Cardinal König in his old age. He died on 29 November 1984 of heart failure in an open-air market in Vienna, aged 74. He was buried in a tomb in St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna. In 1992, the Franz-Jáchym-Platz (Franz Jáchym Place) in Vienna was named for him and a monument erected in his honor.

Episcopal lineage

* Cardinal Scipione Rebiba * Cardinal

Giulio Antonio Santorio Giulio Antonio Santorio (6 June 1532 – 9 May 1602) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. Biography Santorio was born in Caserta. He served as Archbishop of Santa Severina from 1566 until his death.

(1566) * Cardinal

Girolamo Bernerio Girolamo Cardinal Bernerio, O.P. (1540 – 5 August 1611) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. Biography Bernerio was born in Corregio. He served as Bishop of Ascoli Piceno from 1586 until his resignation in 1605. He was ...

, OP (1586) * Archbishop

Galeazzo Sanvitale Galeazzo Sanvitale (died 8 September 1622) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Bari-Canosa (1604–1606). ''(in Latin)''Ludovico Ludovisi Ludovico Ludovisi (22 or 27 October 1595 – 18 November 1632) was an Italian cardinal and statesman of the Roman Catholic Church. He was an art connoisseur who formed a famous collection of antiquities, housed at the Villa Ludovisi in Rome. B ...

(1621) * Cardinal Luigi Caetani (1622) * Cardinal

Ulderico Carpegna Ulderico Carpegna (24 June 1595 – 24 January 1679) was an Italian jurist and Cardinal. Biography Born at Scavolino, he was from a family of the Roman nobility, connected with the Montefeltro family. He became bishop of Gubbio

(1630) * Cardinal

Paluzzo Paluzzi Altieri degli Albertoni Paluzzo Paluzzi Altieri degli Albertoni (8 June 1623 – 29 June 1698) was an Italian Catholic Cardinal and Cardinal-Nephew to Pope Clement X. Biography Altieri was born Paluzzo Paluzzi degli Albertoni in Rome, the eldest of two sons to Anton ...

(1666) *

Pope Benedict XIII Pope Benedict XIII ( la, Benedictus XIII; it, Benedetto XIII; 2 February 1649 – 21 February 1730), born Pietro Francesco Orsini and later called Vincenzo Maria Orsini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 29 May ...

(1675) *

Pope Benedict XIV Pope Benedict XIV ( la, Benedictus XIV; it, Benedetto XIV; 31 March 1675 – 3 May 1758), born Prospero Lorenzo Lambertini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 17 August 1740 to his death in May 1758. Pope Be ...

(1724) *

Pope Clement XIII Pope Clement XIII ( la, Clemens XIII; it, Clemente XIII; 7 March 1693 – 2 February 1769), born Carlo della Torre di Rezzonico, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 July 1758 to his death in February 1769. ...

(1743) * Cardinal Bernardino Giraud (1767) * Cardinal

Alessandro Mattei Alessandro Mattei (20 February 1744, Rome – 20 April 1820) was an Italian Cardinal, and a significant figure in papal diplomacy of the Napoleonic period. He was from the Roman aristocratic House of Mattei. He became Archbishop of Ferrara in 1 ...

(1777) * Cardinal

Pietro Francesco Galleffi Pietro Francesco Galleffi (Galeffi) (1770–1837) was an Italian Cardinal. During the Napoleonic period, he was expelled from Rome, in 1798. He was created Cardinal in 1803. He was removed to France, in 1809. He became titular archbishop of Dam ...

(1819) * Cardinal

Giacomo Filippo Fransoni Giacomo Filippo Fransoni (10 December 1775 – 20 April 1856) was an Italian prelate and cardinal who served from 1834 to 1856 as prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith. He was the cardinal priest of the Church of Sa ...

(1822) * Cardinal

Carlo Sacconi Carlo Sacconi J.U.D. (9 May 1808 – 25 February 1889) was a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and Dean of the College of Cardinals. Carlo Sacconi was born in Montalto. He was educated at the seminary of Fermo and later at La Sapienza ...

(1851) * Cardinal

Edward Henry Howard Edward Henry Howard (13 February 1829 – 16 September 1892) was an English Catholic priest and archbishop, who was made a cardinal in 1877. He was a relative of the Dukes of Norfolk. Life Howard was the son of Edward Gyles Howard, by his marri ...

(1872) * Cardinal

Mariano Rampolla Mariano Rampolla del Tindaro (17 August 1843 – 16 December 1913) was an Italian Cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church, and the last man to have his candidacy for papal election vetoed through ''jus exclusivae'' by a Catholic monarch. Early li ...

(1882) * Cardinal

Rafael Merry del Val Rafael Merry del Val y Zulueta, (10 October 1865 – 26 February 1930) was a Spanish Roman Catholic cardinal. Before becoming a cardinal, he served as the secretary of the papal conclave of 1903 that elected Pope Pius X, who is said to have ac ...

(1900) * Archbishop Enrico Sibilia (1908) * Cardinal

(1932) * Archbishop Franz Jáchym (1950)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jáchym, Franz 1910 births 1984 deaths 20th-century Roman Catholic archbishops in Austria 20th-century Austrian Roman Catholic theologians 20th-century Roman Catholic titular archbishops Bishops of Vienna Burials at St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna Participants in the Second Vatican Council Roman Catholic moral theologians University of Vienna alumni Academic staff of the University of Vienna