Febronianism

Febronianism denotes a enlightening oriented intra- Catholic reform movement of the second half of the 18th century.

Church History Classification

The term owes its name to the Bishop of Trier Johann Nikolaus von Honthorst Home (* 1701 † 1790) under the pseudonym Justinus Febronius published work " De statu ecclesiae et legitima potestate Romani Pontificis " ( total 5 vols 1763-1773, Bd.I - II 1763). The first German translation appeared in 1764 under the full title: "Book of the condition of the Church and of the lawful authority of the Roman Pontiff, to unite in religion contrary -minded Christians." The work goes back to the job Hont home, on the occasion of the imperial election of Charles VII ( 1742), the " grievances of the German nation against the Roman court " to compile the derived already from the 15th century complaints of the German Reich Church against Rome ( cf. this also Emser Congress 1786). The speedy indexing of the book by Pope Clement XIII. (17 February 1764) was the effectiveness of the writing - not prevent him and the following extensive debate in most of Europe - until well into the 19th century. Hontheim itself made ​​in 1778 on massive pressure towards a formal withdrawal.

The Emperor Joseph II rejected the signature of Febronius because their rich religious tendencies were in contradiction to the territorial- state-church views.

Historically, the Febronianism in the tradition of the Episcopalian and various late medieval reform councils and various resistance movements can be seen against the growing papal centralism. Strong influences on the Febronianism has the Gallican in view of the state-church tendencies, but also Jansenism in his opposition to the primacy of the Pope.

Objectives

Content can be a three-fold objective of Febronianism account:

1 The Febronianism can be almost seen as a frontal attack on the institution of the papacy and his claim to the primacy of jurisdiction. The power of the keys, therefore, comes to the universal Church, which transfers it to the bishops. The highest instance of ecclesiastical legislation and jurisdiction is the general council. It requires neither the vocation nor the confirmation by the Pope. The bishops are the actual bearers of the ecclesiastical power. The Pope has neither whole Church the power of jurisdiction, or the right to appoint the bishops. He has to protect the independence of episcopal jurisdiction and to decide disputes in faith, so it left him at most unifying and ordering tasks. The papal primacy is in fact reduced to the primacy of honor [ centrum unitatis ecclesiae ].

2 The strengthening of the position of the bishops against Rome implies the attempt to give the secular ruler to the realization of the reform issues greater rights within the church, this especially in view of the extensive privileges of the Catholic nobility in the cathedral chapters, as well as in the targeted right of appeal the bishops [ appellatio from abusu ] to the secular power.

3 Finally, but not least, was the intention of the Febronianism also the possible reunion of the separated churches. Larger distance from Rome, Steps to Nationalkirchentum, also along the lines of Protestant state churches, and ecclesiastical reforms should pave this road, of course, neglecting almost all theological issues that divide them.

Effect story

Success of Febronianism in any of the three goals has been. The Theses on the position of the Pope met with widespread rejection of the episcopate, which as of the Metropolitan wanted to be assumed rather the jurisdiction of the Pope. What trends affected the state church, the threat of having them decay of the Roman Catholic Church in individual country's churches, the Church in the 18th century, overall, endangered, but they remained only episode, as the intention of a possible reunion of the Church, in spite of the largely overcome the sectarianism in the 18th century. Really "successful" but may have been the indirect contribution of the Febronianism on the way to incipient secularization of ecclesiastical principalities (1803 ).