Joseph Ignatius Ritter

Joseph Ignaz Ritter ( Ignaz Ritter, born April 12, 1787 Schweinitz, Silesia, † January 5, 1857 in Breslau) was a German Roman Catholic theologian and church historian.

Career

Joseph Ignaz Ritter, the son of an elementary school teacher, attended the gymnasium and studied from 1806 Glogau Catholic Theology at the Silesian Friedrich-Wilhelms University of Breslau. After ordination in 1811 he was chaplain to the churches in the diocese of Breslau and later at the St. Hedwig's Church in Berlin. He also studied at the Friedrich- Wilhelms- University theology and anthropology. In 1821 he received his doctorate from the University of Wroclaw to Dr. theol .. In his dissertation, he translated a Greek text of John Chrysostom.

In 1823 he was appointed Professor of Church History and Patristic Studies at the Rheinische Friedrich- Wilhelms-Universität Bonn. In addition to lectures on pastoral theology and New Testament exegesis, he began work on his masterpiece, the multi-volume manual of church history.

In Bonn, he made ​​the acquaintance of Georg Hermes and named after Hermes Hermesianism. In 1830 he returned to the University of Breslau, where he was repeatedly Dean of the Faculty of Theology and 1835/36 Rector. He also continued to pastoral work.

On 1 December 1840 he was appointed vicar of the Archdiocese of Breslau, where he compared Pope Gregory XVI. a romtreue attitude occupied and well made ​​hopes for the vacant episcopate. However, these were - not met - because of the resistance of individual members of the cathedral chapter. As the new Bishop Joseph Knauer of the Knights in 1843 elected, appointed his vicar general. However, a position he lost in 1844 after Knauer's death. In 1845 he returned to his professorship in Breslau and was appointed by Melchior von Diepenbrock to the dean on 15 April 1846.

Ritter was a deputy in the First Chamber in Berlin and had a seat in the Erfurt Union Parliament. He was also active in the Catholic club movement.