Schönborn Receives Star in Vienna IKG City Temple
ORF, February 12, 2025
German original: https://religion.orf.at/stories/3228848/
On Tuesday evening, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn was honored by the Israelitische Kultusgemeinde (IKG) Vienna for his services to Jewish-Christian dialogue with the dedication of a star in the dome of the city temple.
According to a statement, the former Archbishop of Vienna had significantly shaped the exchange between religions for over three decades, said IKG President Oskar Deutsch. In doing so, Schönborn had also drawn attention to the fact that Christianity was based on Jewish roots and that Jesus was a Jew.
Deutsch particularly emphasized Schönborn's reliable support of Jewish interests in public discourse and in politics – a unique connection between the Jewish community and the Christian churches in Europe, as it is practiced in Vienna. “We hold the Cardinal in high regard for his strong commitment to interreligious exchange and for always defending and supporting the Jewish community,” Deutsch continued.
Coming to terms with Christian antisemitism
At the same time, Deutsch pointed out that even after the Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023, Schönborn “always proved to be a rock-solid friend and warned against antisemitism – no matter what kind – and also actively took initiatives.” In addition, Schönborn, who was invited to a meeting of the Cultural Board on Tuesday as the first cardinal, spoke out against a ban on slaughter, according to Deutsch. He has also done important work in the area of Christian anti-Semitism.
In his acceptance speech, Schönborn said he was deeply moved by the gesture of the IKG: “It is a moving moment for me. It is very extraordinary that I am allowed to stand here, it moves me very much,” said the Cardinal. And also that a star now bears his name in the city temple touches him deeply.
Schönborn: the connection between Judaism and Christianity
In his acceptance speech, he also addressed one of his most important theological concerns: with the Council's declaration “Nostra aetate” (1965), the Roman Catholic Church had made a “Copernican revolution” and finally rejected the old theory of substitution, according to which the Church had taken the place of Israel. In the past, this doctrine had led Christians to intensify anti-Semitic resentment, with devastating consequences.
Today, it is clear in the Catholic Church, as in other Christian churches, that God's covenant with his people Israel – as Paul already emphasized – is irrevocable: “The new covenant is not substitution, that is a very crucial idea for understanding the irrevocability and thus the recognition of Judaism by Christianity”. Deepening this insight theologically and actually overcoming it has been one of his central concerns as a theologian and bishop and will continue to be so. After all, it is the deepest reason for the deep bond between Christians and Jews.
