Pope Laments Death of Otto Von Habsburg

July 12, 2011: Pope Benedict XVI has condoled the death of Otto von Habsburg, the last crown prince of Austria, Hungary, Croatia and Bohemia, who died on July 4 in Germany, at the age of 84.
Also known as Archduke Otto of Austria, he was the eldest son of Blessed Charles I of Austria, the last emperor of Austria-Hungary. The empire dissolved in 1918, at the end of the First World War, and the Habsburg family was forced into exile.
During World War II, Otto was a fearless critic of the Nazi party in Germany. Upon annexing Austria, Adolf Hitler had not only ordered the death of Otto von Habsburg, but also revoked his citizenship, as well as the citizenship of the imperial royal family. Later Otto dedicated himself to a lifelong career in politics, during which he worked tirelessly to unify a divided Europe, and remind the continent of its Christian roots.
The Pontiff, in his condolence message said that Otto had "been a committed European tirelessly working for freedom, for the unity of peoples and for a just order in this continent."
The funeral for Archduke Otto of Austria is scheduled for July 16 in Vienna, Austria. The Pope has named Cardinal Christoph Schönborn as his delegate to the funeral.