Born in Hrachovec (now part of
Valašské Meziříčí) in
Moravia, Franziskus Bauer received the
Sacrament of Confirmation in 1852, and studied at the
seminary at the
Faculty of Theology in
Olomouc. He received the first
tonsure and
minor orders on 14 December 1859. Following his elevation to the
subdiaconate (20 December 1862) and the
diaconate (28 February 1863), Bauer was
ordained to the
priesthood on 19 July 1863, for the Archdiocese of Olomouc. He then served as a cooperator, and later second
chaplain in the
parish of
Vyškov, for the
archdiocese until February 1865, whence he began teaching at the
Theological Faculty of Olomouc. Bauer finished his studies in 1869, obtaining his
doctorate in theology on 30 June that year. He became
Dean of the Theological Faculty in 1869 as well. He became a
professor at the
University of Prague on 19 September 1873, and later the
Rector of the Archiepiscopal Seminary of Prague in 1879. On 3 July 1883, Bauer was appointed
Bishop of
Brno by
Pope Leo XIII. He received his
episcopal consecration on the following August 15 from Cardinal Archbishop
Friedrich Egon von Fürstenberg of Olomouc, with Bishops
Gustav von Belript-Tissac and
Karol Prucha serving as
co-consecrators. Bauer was later named
Archbishop of Olomouc on 10 May 1904. In virtue of this position, he was also
prince,
duke of
Hotzenplotz, counselor to the
emperor, and
senator.
Pope Pius X created him
Cardinal Priest of
S. Girolamo degli Schiavoni in the
consistory of 27 November 1911. Although eligible, Bauer did not
participate in the
1914 papal conclave due to ill health. Franziskus von Sales Bauer died in Olomouc at age 74. He is buried in the
metropolitan cathedral of Olomouc. ==References==