Salzburg Archbishop Franz Lackner expressed his deep sorrow and asked for prayers for the deceased. He had visited Laun at his bedside just two days earlier.
Laun had "served the Archdiocese of Salzburg as an auxiliary bishop with dedication for over 22 years", Lackner said. "Now, after a fulfilled life, we as a diocese want to accompany him on his last journey, pray for him and entrust him to the grace and love of that philanthropic God".
A few months ago, it had become known that Laun was apparently seriously ill. Archbishop Lackner had already called for prayers for him at that time.
In October, he was hospitalised for around three weeks, but was then discharged again. At the time, his condition was described as critical but stable.
Born on 13 October 1942 in Vienna
Laun was Auxiliary Bishop in Salzburg from 1995 until his retirement in October 2017. Born on 13 October 1942 in Vienna, he entered the novitiate of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales (OSFS) in Eichstätt in 1962 and took his perpetual vows in 1966.
One year later, he was ordained a priest in Eichstätt. After years as an educator, chaplain and religion teacher, Laun completed his doctorate in 1973 in Fribourg, Switzerland; in 1981 he qualified as a professor of moral theology at the University of Vienna and later taught the subject as a professor at Heiligenkreuz University and at the Salesian Don Bosco College in Benediktbeuern.
In 1995 he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Salzburg by Pope John Paul II (1978-2005) and consecrated Bishop by the then Archbishop Georg Eder.
Laun was considered a prominent conservative opponent of Pope Francis and repeatedly caused controversy.
Among other things, he caused outrage in 2017 with a text in which he described the "gender ideology" as a false doctrine, behind which stood the "lie of the devil".
In 2018, he spoke out in another article against the suggestion of some German bishops to consider blessing ceremonies for homosexual couples.
He wrote, among other things: "God's blessing can be asked for sinners, but not for sin. So one could not consecrate a brothel, a concentration camp or bless weapons that are not exclusively intended for hunting or legitimate defence."
In 2020, Laun was also one of the signatories of the Corona Manifesto of Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, who has since been excommunicated.