Georg Scherer

Georg Scherer ( * 1540 in Schwaz (Tyrol ), † 1605 in Linz) was a Jesuit and preacher against the Reformation.

Life

1559 Scherer joined the Jesuits. The family was poor and his studies in Vienna, he could afford only through public support. 1564, he earned his Master of Arts, and a year later he was ordained a priest.

Early Scherer was court preacher in Vienna and Graz. In this position, he tried to influence his Habsburg rule for a policy within the meaning of the Counter-Reformation. 1590 Scherer was appointed Rector of the Vienna monastic house, but already in 1594 again removed because it was too strict. 1600 Scherer went to Linz.

Georg Scherer died in 1605, when it struck the blow at a Hetzpredigt against witches in the pulpit of the church in Linz.

Ernst Tomek describes him in his church history as the " ablest among the Jesuits of Austria". Karl Eder Scherer sees as one of the most skilled polemicist and pastors of his time, but also speaks of his inherently hard art. Werner Scherer Drobesch judged critical, refers to him as " Jesuit fundamentalists " ..

Preaching against the Reformation

In the second half of the 16th century, about a century after the invention of printing, printed sermons to mass media began to be and act on public opinion. This also intention and purpose of preaching is changed: the theological task was added a political one. In his sermons and writings Scherer fought the Reformation extremely hard. In various works, he provides the following arguments for the Catholic Church and against the Protestants:

• In A Christian Gesprech of the Tauffceremonien he mentioned the long tradition of the Church that " [ was ] over the years fünffzehenhundert by any Rechtsglaubigen ever challenged '.
• In Actual Abcontrafeyung a new outrageous Monstrances Scherer makes the Protestants ridiculous and tells to the story of a Protestant Predicanten, which would have had a doll with him, from which he had given Communion. He skillfully used the appearance of the male, to represent the " error " and " vice" of the Protestants.
• In The Lutheran beggar's cloak Scherer compares the doctrine of the Protestants to the jacket of a beggar, which was patched together from many clothing scraps. Likewise, the followers of Luther " all sorts of heresies [ of ] before vil hundreds Jaren " have brought to light and thus created " a miserable piece of thin and ragged zerflickten faith."

Later commentators of Scherer's preaching found too much by hatred of the Protestants his attitude. Unlike his colleague Abraham a Sancta Clara Scherer came with posterity quickly forgotten.

Witches - preacher

In a sermon on the liberation of a woman of 12,652 devils Scherer asserts only the rituals of the Catholic Church would provide effective protection against Satan.

1583, in the time of the witch hunts, Scherer stopped in front of the Vienna Stephansdom a Hetzpredigt against the witches in general, and against Elizabeth Plain Acher in particular. That got people now demanded that we should torture them to force a confession. So led his preaching on the death of Elsa Plain Acher.

Writings

• Report From the whimsical victory, the Doctor Paul Florenius, resist Georgen Scherer Jesuits who nechst abgelauffne fasting Wienn in Austria, get argue with, Graz: Widmanstetter, 1590
• Christian remembrance bey the histories of recent accrediting completion of a virgins those obsessed with zwölftausendt six hundred fifty -two devils. In: George Scherer of the chat Societet IESV Theological another part. Klosterbruck 1600, pp. 189-206.
• The Lutheran beggar's cloak. In: First Part of all publications, books, Tractätlein which can Georg Scherer Societas IESV Theologus bishero spend at different times by the truck. Klosterbruck 1599, pp. 455-460.
• Actual Abcontrafreyung a new unheard- monstrance. In: First Part of all publications, books, Tractätlein which can Georg Scherer Societas IESV Theologus bishero spend at different times by the truck. Klosterbruck 1599, pp. 117-148.
• A Christian Gesprech of the Tauffceremonien between a catholischen Pfarhern and [ a ] Lutheran midwife. In: First Part of all publications, books, Tractätlein which let Georg Scherer Societas IESV Theologus bishero spend at different times by the truck. Klosterbruck 1599, pp. 1-43.
• Catechism or teaching children will be in which all Artickel of our Christian faith Catholischen gründtlich VND klärlich außgelegt and bestettiget against all heresies. By RP Georgium Schärer the Society of Jesus Theologum to seed Worn VND to dise form verfasset, Passau, 1626. Full text online at the University Library of the University of Vienna (eBooks on Demand).