A senior Catholic cleric in Austria has suggested that Europe should come to terms with its decline, according to the Catholic News Agency. Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, Archbishop of Vienna, made the remarks in an interview with the French Christian magazine Famille Chrétienne.
Schönborn pointed out that Europe’s population will look very different in 20 years, compared to today and 50 years ago. This shift, he said, is primarily driven by a declining birth rate, immigration, and the growing presence of Islam.
Despite the diminishing influence of the Catholic Church in Europe, Schönborn emphasized that it remains relevant. “Despite secularisation, the great questions of men and women remain the same as before: birth, growth, education, illness, economic worries. And then there is the family, marriage and death,” he stated.
The archbishop also stressed that the Church must adapt to societal changes and trends. In line with Pope Francis, he called for “fraternal rapprochement” with Islam, which continues to grow rapidly across Europe.