Franc Kramberger

Mons. Franc Kramberger
Archbishop Emeritus of Archdiocese of Maribor
Church	Roman Catholic Church
Appointed	6 November 1980 (as Diocesan Bishop) 7 April 2006 (as Archbishop)
Term ended	3 February 2011
Predecessor	Maksimilijan Držečnik
Successor	Marjan Turnšek
Other post(s)	President of the Episcopal Conference of Slovenia (2004–2007)
Orders
Ordination	29 June 1960 (Priest)
Consecration	21 December 1980 (Bishop) by Michele Cecchini
Personal details
Born	Franc Kramberger (1936-10-07) 7 October 1936 (age 88) Lenart v Slovenskih Goricah, Kingdom of Yugoslavia (present day Slovenia)
Alma mater	University of Ljubljana

Archbishop Franc Kramberger (born 7 October 1936) is a Slovenian Roman Catholic 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 in the present-day Municipality of Lenart.

After finishing primary school, which he attended in his native town and graduation a classical gymnasium #1 in Maribor in 1954, he was admitted to the Major Theological Seminary in Ljubljana and in the same time joined the Theological Faculty at the University of Ljubljana, where he studied from 1954 until 1960[1][2] and was ordained as priest on June 29, 1960 for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lavant (as in this time was named the Diocese of Maribor),[3] after completed his philosophical and theological studies.

Coat of arms of Archbishop Franc Kramberger

Pastoral and educational work

After his ordination Fr. Kramberger served as a chaplain in the parish of the Most Holy Body in Maribor (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 University of Ljubljana with a Doctor of Theology degree in 1973.[2]

Prelate

On November 6, 1980, he was appointed by Pope John Paul II as the Diocesan Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Maribor. On December 21, 1980, he was consecrated as bishop by Apostolic Pro-nuncio to Yugoslavia, Archbishop Michele Cecchini and other prelates of the Roman Catholic Church in the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in Maribor.[3] On April 7, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI erected three new dioceses in Slovenia: in Celje, Murska Sobota and in Novo Mesto, 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.[1]

The several terms he served as the Vice-President of the Episcopal Conference of Slovenia and from December 6, 2004 until March 16, 2007 was its President.[2]

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.[4]

References

1. "Upokojeni mariborski nadškof msgr. dr. Franc Kramberger". Official Website of the Episcopal Conference of Slovenia (in Slovenian). Retrieved 12 June 2020.
2. "Dr. Franc Kramberger - Življenjepis". Official Website of the Archdiocese of Maribor (in Slovenian). Retrieved 12 June 2020.
3. "Archbishop Franc Kramberger". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
4. "Kramberger zanika, da odhaja zaradi finančnih težav" [Kramberger Denies Leaving Because of Financial Problems]. Viva (in Slovenian). 3 February 2011. Archived from the original on 6 September 2022. Retrieved 6 September 2022.

External links

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Maksimilijan Držečnik	Bishop of Maribor 1980–2006	Succeeded by himself as Archdiocesan Archbishop
Preceded by himself as Diocesan Bishop	Archbishop of Maribor 2006–2011	Succeeded by Marjan Turnšek
Preceded by Franc Rode	President of the Episcopal Conference of Slovenia 2004–2007	Succeeded by Alojz Uran