József Batthyány

Josef Batthyány (Hungarian: Batthyány József, Vienna, 30 January 1727 - Pressburg, 23 October 1799), was a Hungarian nobleman, Cardinal and patron of the arts from the Batthyány family.

He was Archbishop of Esztergom, Cardinal and Prince Primate of Hungary, and as such crowned both Leopold II and his son and successor Francis II as King of Hungary. The cardinal was one of Maria Theresa's personal advisors and was considered a mediator and reconciler within the Kingdom of Hungary.

Biography He was born in one of the oldest and most influential Hungarian noble families, as second son of Lajos Batthyány, Palatine of Hungary. He attended the gymnasium in Kőszeg and studied theology in Trnava. He was ordained a priest on 29 June 1751. He became a canon of Esztergom in 1752, and provost of Pressburg in 1755.

On 13 July 1759, he was elected Bishop of Transylvania and consecrated on 2 December of the same year. He had not yet settled into his episcopal see, when on 15 December 1760, he was promoted to Archbishop of Kalocsa-Bács. On 20 May 1776, he was transferred to the Archdiocese of Esztergom and elevated to the dignity of Primate of Hungary.

Pope Pius VI made him a Cardinal in the consistory of 1 June 1778 and on 19 April 1782 in a consistory held in the Imperial Palace in Vienna, he conferred on him the title of San Bartolomeo all'Isola.

In his role as Primate of Hungary he crowned Leopold II as King of Hungary in 1790 in Pressburg and Francis II in 1792 in Buda. At the first threat of a French invasion (1797) he was a very active mediator.