Johannes Joseph Koppes

Jean Joseph Alphonse Koppes ( born September 16, 1843 in Canach, † November 29, 1918 in Luxembourg ) was Bishop of Luxembourg 1883 until 1918.

Life

John Joseph Koppes was the son of the schoolmaster Johann (Jean) Koppes and his wife Anna Maria nee Serious.

At 25, he was ordained a priest on August 28, 1868 and worked among other things as a pastor of Esch- Alzette. As a vicar, he was spiritual director of the stigmatized and controversial Anna Moes (1832-1895), founder of the Dominican convent on the Limpertsberg.

On September 28, 1883, appointed Bishop of Luxembourg and on 4 November of the year was dedicated to the consecration by Cardinal Edward Henry Howard. His office held Koppes until his death on 29 November 1918.

His election as bishop was church politics of the seminar Professor Dominik Hengesch (1844-1899) and Archbishop Francesco Spolverini (1838-1918), the Internuncio for Luxembourg promoted. Nicholas also Nilles, SJ, the first was considered a candidate, sat down in Rome for a Koppes.

Koppes ' episcopal motto was Pax et Veritas. He appeared brave and combative, especially towards liberalism, socialism and Freemasonry. His Gegenern he was in the former jargon as " ultramontane ".

As a guest, he regularly participated in the meetings of the German bishops in Fulda. 1913, the German Catholic in Metz, Koppes appeared as a speaker and has been immortalized with a photo in the Festschrift.

His unyielding attitude led to many conflicts with the liberal-minded state government. After Koppes death his funeral in the Luxembourg Cathedral was denied by the City Council; his grave is therefore (in addition to that of his predecessor Nicolas Adames ) in the chapel glacis before the walls of the castle of Luxembourg.