'Islamic conquest of Europe' warning issued by Austrian cardinal

An Austrian cardinal who is considered to be a frontrunner for the papacy warned against an "Islamic conquest of Europe" during a speech given in Vienna last Sunday.

The speech was made by Cardinal Christoph Schönborn on the 333rd anniversary of the Battle of Vienna in 1683 when the Ottoman Empire was defeated.

Schönborn suggested at the Holy Name of Mary church festival that many Muslims want to see the end of Europe. He reportedly stated, "Will there be an Islamic conquest of Europe? Many Muslims want that and say: Europe is at its end."

He then reportedly prayed, "God have mercy on Europe and on thy people, who are in danger of forfeiting our Christian heritage."

He claimed that the invasion is already being felt "not only economically, but above all, in human and religious matters."

The Austrian government appears to be working to prevent the said Islamic conquest. Parliament recently passed a law that would ban foreign financial sources for Muslim organizations and require imams to speak German. The law aims to curb the influence of foreign Muslim nations and organizations.

Last April, the parliament also passed a law restricting the right of asylum which allowed border authorities to reject asylum seekers.

Schönborn is a conservative who was once considered as a viable candidate for the papacy before the election of Pope Francis. He has been called the "Sorcerer's Apprentice" while he was a student of Pope Benedict XVI.

Last month, American Cardinal Raymond Burke also shared his own opinion about Islam. He held a teleconference wherein he stated that Muslims and Christians do not worship the same god.

"I don't believe it's true that we're all worshipping the same God, because the God of Islam is a governor," Burke said. "In other words, fundamentally Islam is, Sharia is their law, and that law, which comes from Allah, must dominate every man eventually," he added.