It is not often that a cardinal gives a speech that sends shockwaves through the Catholic Church. But that was what happened when Cardinal Christoph Schönborn gave a recent lecture at the University of Vienna on the abuse crisis.
The cardinal is one of the most influential Catholic figures. An outstanding theologian, he is renowned for helping to draft the Catechism of the Catholic Church. He has worked as a trusted collaborator alongside both Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. Now aged 74, the cardinal is preparing to step down as Archbishop of Vienna when he reaches the mandatory retirement age in January. He underwent prostate cancer treatment in May and perhaps this experience, along with his imminent departure from Vienna, has left him free to speak his mind.
