Theodor Innitzer

Theodor Innitzer , born the December 25th 1875 with Neugeschrei, close to Weipert, in the Sudètes (Bohemia), deceased the October 9th 1955 with Vienna, was an Austrian man of the church, archbishop of Vienna of 1932 to 1955, and cardinal.

Biography

Theodor Innitzer was wire of workman. After the elementary school, he was engaged like apprentice in a textile factory. But the senior of its parish allowed him to continue his schooling and to make secondary studies with the college of State (Staatsgymnasium) of Kadan. In 1898, it entered to the seminar to Vienna, and was ordered priest on July 25th, 1902. It obtained its doctorate of theology to the Université of Vienna in 1906, where it was named professor in 1911, and where it taught the Exégèse New Testament. In 1928-1929, he was vice-chancellor of the University, then, in 1929-1930, Minister for the social affairs within the third government of the chancellor Johann Schober. In 1932, it was named Archevêque of Vienna by the Pape Pie XI. From 1932 to 1949, it was moreover apostolic Administrateur Burgenland. In 1933, it was named cardinal, under Saint-Chrisogone. The same year, it created the museum diocesan of the cathedral of Vienna.

Theodor Innitzer is a figure discussed in the Histoire of Austria at the 20th century, mainly because of its political standpoint at the time of Anschluss. Indeed, since 1934, its political commitment was concretized by the support which it brought to the dictatorship Fasciste of the chancellors Engelbert Dollfuss and Kurt Schusnigg (“austro-Fascism”), which based their economic policies and social on the doctrines of the Catholic church. But especially, in 1938, the Innitzer cardinal supported publicly the Anschluss, the annexation of Austria to the Third Reich: “Those which have load of hearts and the faithful ones, will line up without condition behind the great German State and Führer, because the historical fight against the criminal illusion of the Bolchevism and for the safety of the German life, work and the bread, the power and the honor of Reich and for the unit of the German nation is obviously accompanied by the blessing of Providence. ” Most of the Austrian churches were immediately pavoisées of crosses - gammées.

March 15th, 1938, Innitzer met Hitler personally when it came to Vienna, and on March 18th, with the other Austrian bishops, signed a declaration written by the Gauleiter Bürckel favorable to Anschluss, adding its hand the formula “Heil Hitler! ”.

The next March 27th, this collective declaration of the episcopate of Austria is read “in all the Churches of the Austrian territory”: “(...) We recognize with joy that the movement national-Socialist made and makes still eminent work in the field of national and economic construction like also in the field of the industrial relations policy for Reich and the German nation, and in particular for the poorest layers of the population… At the day of the plebiscite, it goes without saying that it is for us a national duty, as Germans, to declare us for German Reich, and we also await all Christians believers whom they will know what it owe with their nation. ”.

In Rome, Radio Vatican denounced at once the diffusion of this text; the pope Black and white XI and the cardinal Pacelli, scandalized by the declaration of the Austrian bishops, then asked Innitzer to come to be explained in front of them. April 6th, before meeting the pope, Innitzer discussed with the Pacelli cardinal, who ordered to him to retract publicly, and compiling a new document, in the name of all the bishops of Austria, to appear in the Osservatore Romano , affirming that:

“The purpose of the solemn declaration of the Austrian bishops was not to be an approval of something which is incompatible with the law of God”, and also specifying that this first statement had been made without the agreement of Rome.

During the months which followed, the Germans repealed the mode Austrian Concordat surface and prohibited the organizations and newspapers depending on the Catholic church. In sign of protest, on October 7th, 1938, to the call of Innitzer, thousands of young people came to gather to request and meditate in the Cathédrale Saint-Etienne of Vienna. In his sermon, the cardinal affirmed then: “There is one Führer: Jesus Christ. ” The following day, a hundred Nazis invaded and ransacked the residence of the archbishop.

The ambiguous relations between Innitzer and the Nazi regime caused many criticisms after the Second world war.

See too

Works of Theodor Innitzer

Johannes der Täufer. Nach DER heiligen Schrift und DER Tradition dargest. von Theodor Innitzer , Mayer, Wien, 1908.
Kommentar zum Evangelium of the heil. Lukas put Ausschluß der Leidensgeschichte . (Von Franz Xaver Pölzl. 2. umgearb. Aufl. bes. von Theodor Innitzer.) Graz U. Wien 1912
Hofrat Dr. france X. Pölzl , Styria, Graz, 1915.
Kommentar zum Evangelium of the heiligen Markus put Ausschluß der Leidensgeschichte . (Begründet von Franz Xaver Pölzl. 3. umgearb. Aufl. bes. von Theodor Innitzer.) Graz U. Wien 1916.
Kurzgefaßter Kommentar (Commentar) zu den vier heiligen Evangelien . (Begründet von Franz Xaver Poelzl fortgesetzt von Theodor Innitzer. 4 verb. Aufl.) Graz 1928

Die Religion der Erde in Einzeldarstellungen , (Gemeinsam put Fritz Wilke.), Leipzig U. Wien, 1929.

Das Heilige Jahr und der Friede In Hoffmann, Hermann: Die Kirche und der Friede , 1933.

er STI auferstanden! Bilder v. Josef v. Führich. Erklärung v. Theodor Innitzer . Bernina, Wien, 1949.

Glaubensbrief . Herder, Wien 1939-40

Was tun to wir selbst? Kardinal-Erzbischof Theodor Innitzer U. Erzbischof-Koadjutor Franz Jachym rufen zur Hilfe F. junge Familien . Kath. Familienwerk D. Erzdiözese Wien, Wien 1951

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