Theodor Innitzer

Theodor Cardinal Innitzer ( born December 25, 1875 in Neugeschrei at Weipert, Bohemia, † October 9, 1955 in Vienna) was from 1911 professor of New Testament at the University of Vienna, 1929/30, Minister of Social Affairs and from 1932 Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Vienna.

Priest, professor, minister

Innitzer was the son of a factory worker, after compulsory schooling an apprentice in a textile factory. The dean of his home town allowed him to attend high school. In 1898, he entered the Vienna seminary and was ordained priest on 25 July 1902. First, he was a chaplain in press tree, then prefect of studies in 1910 and later chancellor of the Vienna Seminary.

Innitzer was a member of the Catholic fraternities K.Ö.HV Nordgau Vienna and the K.Ö.H.V. Franco -Sydney Vienna in ACA.

In 1906 he received a doctorate in theology. at the University of Vienna and completed his habilitation in 1908. Afterwards, he was a lecturer, from 1911 to 1932 and professor from 1913 holds the Chair of New Testament exegesis at the University of Vienna. In 1923 he was involved in the founding of the Missionary Society of Queen of the Apostles. 1928/29, he was rector of the University of Vienna. 1929/30, he was employed as Minister for Social Affairs in the Cabinet Schober III.

Archbishop of Vienna

On September 19, 1932, he was by Pius XI. appointed Archbishop of Vienna and was consecrated on 16 October bishop. From 1932 to 1949 he was also Apostolic Administrator of Burgenland. In 1933 he was accepted as a cardinal priest with the titular church of San Crisogono in the College of Cardinals. In the same year he founded the Cathedral and Diocesan Museum. The dissolution of parliament, including the establishment of an authoritarian dictatorship by Engelbert Dollfuss were greeted by Innitzer. The Catholic Church was in the following years, one of the pillars of the Austro-fascist system.

Annexation of Austria

Much of the criticism provoked his behavior after the annexation of Austria into the Third Reich. He spoke - under heavy pressure from the Nazi leadership - before the referendum on the port on 10 April 1938 from these, paid Adolf Hitler on 15 March 1938 at the Imperial Hotel a courtesy visit and signed on March 18, together with the bishops one written by Gauleiter Bürckel Solemn Declaration, advocated the annexation of Austria. From Bürckel advised Innitzer signed the accompanying letter handwritten with the formula ... and Heil Hitler. This statement was distributed together with a copy of the Hitler salute, without the consent of the bishops throughout the German Reich through posters. After the Vatican distanced itself from the statement, Innitzer had at the request of Pope Pius XI. signed on 6 April in Rome for clarification, which was published in L'Osservatore Romano. The hope of a - promised - church -friendly course of the new regime was not fulfilled. Soon church newspapers and clubs were banned. Also, the Concordat was abolished.

Feast of the Rosary October 1938

On October 7th 1938 Cardinal Innitzer had invited the youth to a devotion to the traditional Feast of the Rosary, as every year. Due to the existing prohibition of Catholic associations was expected 300 or more than 2,000 young people. But crowded about 9000 young St. Stephen's Cathedral to the last place, so that an impressive atmosphere created. Innitzer preached to the young people remained famous words: "Now [ we need ] more staunch profess the faith to Christ - our leader ," and the crowd erupted in cheers. After the service the young people singing hymns attracted to the palace of the Archbishop, where they shouted: " We want to see our bishop! ". The following day, troops stormed the Hitler Youth, the palace, they smashed windows, destroyed paintings and threw furniture out the window. Only after 40 minutes, when the violent youth was long gone, slowly arrived the police. Many historians see in this prayer and the Rosary demonstration the origin of the Catholic Austrian Resistance.

1940 founded the Cardinal Archbishop, the Auxiliary Board of non -Aryan Catholics. You helped hundreds Catholic " non-Aryans " to flee to a safe abroad.

Sermon 1944

In October 1944 Innitzer delivered a sermon in the parish of Vienna Reinsdorf, in which members of the NSDAP group listened and wrote about it a report. They criticized in its report that Innitzer speech " written refined demoralizing " was. It is probably intended to statements such as the following:

However Innitzer led the war happened immediately back to God, he saw it as a punishment for the misconduct of the people. Besides expressed Innitzer also regrets the lack of participation in church life: children grow up without communion and confession, have no religious instruction at school, there is no seminaries, and only one-sixth of the Catholics goes into the holy mass. Such references can also be understood as an indirect criticism of the Nazi government, since it was suppressed by the action of ecclesiastical influence.

Aftereffect

In the U.S. feature film The Cardinal ( The Cardinal, 1963) was Cardinal Josef Meinrad of Innitzer shown.

In 1985 in Vienna Dobling ( 19th district ) was named the Cardinal Innitzer place for him.

Since 1962, the Cardinal Innitzer prize is awarded annually.

Publications

• John the Baptist. After the Holy Scripture and Tradition dargest. by Theodor Innitzer. Mayer, Vienna 1908
• Commentary on the Gospel of salvation. Luke with the exclusion of the Passion. ( By Franz Xaver Polzl. 2 umgearb. Edition of Theodor Innitzer esp. ) Graz and Vienna 1912
• Councilor Dr. Fr X. Polzl. Styria, Graz 1915
• Commentary on the Gospel of St. Mark, with the exclusion of the Passion. ( Founded by Franz Xaver Polzl. 3 umgearb. Edition of Theodor Innitzer esp. ) Graz and Vienna in 1916.
• Concise commentary ( commentary ) on the four holy Gospels. ( Founded by Franz Xaver Poelzl continued by Theodor Innitzer. 4 verb. Edition) Graz 1928
• The religion of the Earth in individual representations. ( Together with Fritz Wilke. ) Leipzig and Vienna in 1929
• The Holy Year and peace. In: Hermann Hoffmann: The Church and the peace. , 1933.
• He is risen! Pictures of Joseph of Fiihrich. Declaration of Theodor Innitzer. Bernina, Vienna 1949
• Faith letter. Herder, Vienna 1939-40
• What we do by yourself? Cardinal - Archbishop Theodore Innitzer and Coadjutor Archbishop Franz Jachym call for help f young families. Catholic family work of the Archdiocese of Vienna, Vienna 1951