Ultramontanism

The term Ultramontanism a political stance of Catholicism in the German-speaking lands including the Netherlands is known that seen on instructions from the papal curia, ie from the from there " beyond the mountains " (Latin ultra montes - the Alps are meant ) lying Vatican supports.

This attitude was associated with the anti-modernism, a flow within the entire Catholic Church in the second half of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century, which - on the basis of decrees of Pope Pius IX. - Turned against social and political reforms to enforce human rights and democracy. A highlight anti-modernist tendencies in the Catholic Church in 1910 was the commitment of all priests to deposit the so-called anti - modernism oath: from 1 September 1910 onwards, they expressly require -called " errors" in the syllabus reject the Errorum (list of errors ).

Conceptualization

The term comes from Latin and refers to the first located from an Italian perspective beyond the Alpine areas, ie mainly Germany. Only after the term was by German liberals and nationalists used " to denote a direction among Catholics who supposedly promotes the interests of the Roman See and the Church on one side at the expense of state interests. " From the group so designated papal " sovereign monarchical authority over the Church and to the right of interference in the internal affairs of States defended ... " 1840 is brought Heinrich Heine criticism contained in the term polemical to the point: " parsons have no country, they have only one Father, one daddy, in Rome. "

The notion that Catholics would be " faithful pope " in cases of conflict, sat down in the early 19th century by, especially in the course of the Cologne church dispute after the German Reich Church had previously often stressed their independence from Rome over the centuries. Ultramontanism at that time was the dominant flow in Catholicism. As a slogan was " ultramontane " used in the second half of the 19th century in the so called Kulturkampf.

For the liberal voters of the " III. Classe " in Cologne about the Ultra Montane party was at the city council elections even in the second half of the 19th century, the central problem; In 1879 they had the pope faithful defeated, but when the election decency in 1881, blazed a newspaper war in which the proximity of the ultramontane clergy showed for the Cologne and anti-Semitism. The Liberals called on 8 November 1881 the entire width of the front page of the local newspaper edition of the Cologne (Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger ) to be unity against the ultramontane; which would namely, in another election

"Written in bold letters to the Archbishop Welchers in the People's Daily: Cologne is conquered for Rome again! That is clear enough. Law clearly expresses itself again ultramontane dirt sheet, the Rheinische Merkur, from. Now is the liberal council finally put paid to be made and the influence and the sufficiency of Judaism to be broken. Ultramontane city councilor Only! This is the slogan unfortunately become "

Since 1870 represented Germany in the Centre Party, this political direction. Shortly after the establishment of the Centre and the conflict between the Protestant Prussian -dominated German Empire began ( under Chancellor Otto von Bismarck ) and the Catholic Church. After the founding of the CDU in 1945 and its non-denominational oriented line ultramontanism lost much political influence.

In France and Belgium, the term was used; here he stood in a more general form for a front against the emerging church and religion in liberalism.

A mastermind of Ultramontanism was Joseph Marie de Maistre ( 1753-1821 ).

From the Vatican from tied Umberto Benigni (1862-1934) in the whole of Western Europe an underground network of priests and laymen, who informed him about modernism suspicious theologians, Catholic writers and cultural workers. This secret society and intelligence was " Sodalitium Pianum ", was known as " La Sapinière " in France, and had different sublattices and a formal statute. Using this information, could the Vatican personnel policy ( promotion, transfer, etc.) operate, exert pressure on Disagreeable and others.