Diocese of Görlitz Dioecesis Gorlicensis Bistum Görlitz | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
| Country |  Germany |
| Ecclesiastical province | Berlin |
| Metropolitan | Görlitz,Saxony |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 9,700 km2 (3,700 sq mi) |
Population
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| Information | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Established | June 28, 1972 |
| Cathedral | St. James Cathedral |
| Patron saint | St. Hedwig of Silesia |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Leo XIV |
| Bishop | Wolfgang Ipolt Bishop of Görlitz |
| Metropolitan Archbishop | Heiner Koch |
| Bishops emeritus | Rudolf Müller |
| Map | |
 | |
| Website | |
| bistum-goerlitz.de | |
TheDiocese of Görlitz (Latin:Dioecesis Gorlicensis) is aLatin Churchdiocese of theCatholic church inGermany. The current ordinary isWolfgang Ipolt.
For the history until 1821 see theHistory of the ancient See of Meissen.
In order to insure the success of the Christian missions among the paganWends (a Slavic people),Otto I suggested at the Roman Synod of 962 the creation of an archiepiscopal see atMagdeburg.Pope John XII consented, and shortly before the execution of the plan in 968 it was decided at the Synod ofRavenna (967) to create three bishoprics —Meissen,Merseburg, andZeitz — assuffragans of theArchdiocese of Magdeburg. The year in which the Diocese of Meissen was established is disputed, as the oldest extant records may be forgeries; however, the record of endowment by Otto I in 971 is considered genuine.
In 1346 the diocese stretched from theOre Mountains andIser Mountains in the south, from there northwards downstream theQueis andBober rivers, forming the eastern boundary, in the north downstream theOder to the junction of theLusatian Neisse and on along theOder, then crossing to the middle course of theSpree in the northwest, thus includingUpper Lusatia (then the deanery ofBautzen) andLower Lusatia (a provostry of the same name).
The chief task of the bishops of the new see was the conversion of the Wends, to which Bishops Volkold (died 992) and Eido (died 1015) devoted themselves with great zeal. SaintBenno (1066–1106), bishop of Meissen, devoted himself to missionary work among the Slavs. In the 13th century the pagan Wends were finally converted to Christianity, chiefly through the efforts of the greatCistercian monasteries, the most important of which wereDobrilugk andNeuzelle.
In 1365Pope Urban V appointed theArchbishop of Praguelegatus natus, or perpetual representative of the Holy See, for the Dioceses of Meissen,of Bamberg andof Regensburg (Ratisbon); the opposition of Magdeburg made it impossible to exercise in Meissen the privileges of this office, and Meissen remained, though under protest, subject to the jurisdiction of theMetropolitan of Magdeburg.
William I, Margrave of Meissen prevailed onPope Boniface IX in 1405 to free Meissen from the authority of the Magdeburg metropolitan and to place it as anexempt diocese directly under the Holy See. John VII of Schleinitz (1518–1537) was a resolute opponent ofMartin Luther, whose revolt began in neighbouringWittenberg (then part of theDiocese of Brandenburg), and, conjointly with George of Saxony, endeavored to crush the innovations. The canonisation of Benno (1523), urged by him, was intended to offset the progress of theLutheranism. John VIII of Maltitz (1537–1549) and Nicholas II of Carlowitz (1549–1555) were unable to withstand the ever-spreadingReformation, which after the death of Duke George (1539) triumphed in the Saxon part of the diocese.
The last bishop,John of Haugwitz (1555–1581), placed his resignation in the hands of the cathedral chapter, in virtue of an agreement with ElectorAugustus of Saxony, went over to Lutheranism, married and retired to the castle of Ruhetal nearMögeln.
Before his resignation and conversion Haugwitz appointedJohannes Leisentritt asdiocesan administrator, seated inBautzen, competent for the Lusatian areas of the diocese outside of Saxony. Leisentritt failed to win the pope for establishing a new diocese comprising only the Lusatian areas of Meissen diocese. However, in 1567 the Holy See separated the Lusatian areas from the Saxon parts of the diocese and established there theApostolic Prefecture of Meissen, seated in Bautzen, with Leisentritt as its first prefect.[1] Incanon law anapostolic prefecture is a diocese on approval.
According to its location and its seat the prefecture used to be called alternatively theApostolic Prefecture of the Two Lusatias (Upper and Lower Lusatia) orApostolic Prefecture of Bautzen. The thenliege lord of the Two Lusatias, the Catholic king of Bohemia (in personal union Holy Roman Emperor) did not effectively offend the spreading of the Reformation in the Two Lusatias. So it depended on the localvassals if Protestantism prevailed or not. When in 1635 the LutheranElectorate of Saxony annexed the Two Lusatias it guaranteed in the cession contract (Traditionsrezess) with Bohemia to leave the existing religious relations untouched. As a signatory of thePeace of Westphalia of 1648 Saxony later agreed to maintain the religious status quo as given in the reference year of 1624 in all its territories acquired since.[2]
After the Prussian annexation of Lower Lusatia and eastern Upper Lusatia in 1815 the Holy See assigned the Lower Lusatian and eastern Upper Lusatian areas of the Meissen prefectureto the PrussianPrince-Bishopric of Breslau (Wrocław) in 1821 (BullDe salute animarum). The remaining prefecture, which had maintained a strong Catholic identity, used to be also called since the Apostolic Prefecture of (Saxon) Upper Lusatia.
For the history between 1821 and 1972 see theHistory of the See of Wrocław.
The BullDe salute animarum disentangled Breslau diocese fromGniezno ecclesiastical province and made Breslau an exempt bishopric. The bull also reconfined the Breslau diocesan area, adding the Prussian-annexed parts of the Apostolic Prefecture of Meissen in Lower Lusatia (politically part ofPrussian Brandenburg since 1815[3]) and easternUpper Lusatia (toPrussian Silesia as of 1815).
Prince-BishopEmmanuel von Schimonsky combatted the rationalistic tendencies which were rife among his clergy in regard to celibacy and the use of Latin in the church services and ceremonies. During the episcopate of his predecessor the government had promulgated a law which was a source of much trouble to Schimonsky and his immediate successors; this was that in those places where Catholics were few in number, the parish should be declared extinct, and the church buildings given to the newly foundedEvangelical Church in Prussia. In spite of the protests of the episcopal authorities, over one hundred church buildings were lost in this way, among them the Holy Cross Church in Neuzelle. KingFrederick William III of Prussia put an end to this injustice, and sought to make good the injuries inflicted.
FreiherrMelchior von Diepenbrock's (1845–1853) episcopate was the beginning of a new religious and ecclesiastical life in the diocese. During the revolutionary period the prince-bishop not only maintained order in his see, which was in a state of ferment, but was also a supporter of the government. He received unusual honours from the king and was made a cardinal by the Pope. He died 20 January 1853, at Johannisberg (Jánský Vrch) Castle, in theAustrian Silesian part of the diocese, and was buried in theWrocław Cathedral.
His successor,Heinrich Förster (1853–1881), carried on his work and completed it. Prince-Bishop Förster gave generous aid to the founding of churches, monastic institutions, and schools. The strife that arose between the Church and the State brought his labours in the Prussian part of his diocese to an end. He was deposed by the State and was obliged to leave Breslau and retire to the episcopal Johannisberg Castle in Austrian Silesia where he died, 20 October 1881; he was buried in the cathedral at Breslau.
Pope Leo XIII appointed as his successor in the disordered dioceseRobert Herzog (1882–1886), who had been before thePrince-Episcopal Delegate for Brandenburg and Pomerania and provost ofSt. Hedwig's in Berlin. Prince-Bishop Herzog made every endeavour to bring order out of the confusion into which the quarrel with the State during the immediately preceding years had thrown the affairs of the diocese. Unfortunately, his episcopate was very short. The Holy See then appointedGeorg Kopp who had done much to allay the strife between Church and State.
According to the census of 1 December 1905, the German part of the Breslau diocesan area, including the prince-episcopal delegation, comprised 3,342,221 Catholics; 8,737,746 Protestants; and 204,749 Jews. It was the richest German diocese by revenues andoffertories. There were actively employed in the diocese 1,632 secular, and 121 regular, priests. The cathedral chapter included the two offices of provost and dean, and had 10 regular, and 6 honorary, canons.
Therestitution of Poland also brought changes in ecclesiastical respect. The Catholic parishes inEast Upper Silesia and the Polish part ofCieszyn/Těšín Silesia were disentangled from Breslau on 7 November 1922. Whereas the sees of Breslau,of Hradec Králové andof Olomouc continued asCzechoslovak-German cross-border dioceses.
According to thePrussianConcordat of 1929 the prior exempt See of Breslau was elevated to the rank of archdiocese in 1930, then supervising theEastern German Ecclesiastical Province comprising Breslau proper and assuffragans the newdiocese of Berlin, formerly exemptDiocese of Ermland (Warmia) and the newPrelature of Schneidemühl (Piła). CardinalAdolf Bertram (1859–1945), bishop since 1914 was elevated to archbishop.
AfterWorld War II, in May 1945, the city of Breslau became again part of Poland under its historic Polish name Wrocław. On 21 June 1945 Bertram, while staying in the episcopalJánský Vrch Castle in CzechoslovakJavorník, appointedFrantišek Onderek (1888–1962) asvicar general for the Czechoslovak part of the archdiocese. On 6 July 1945 Bertram died on Jánský Vrch Castle. On 16 July the archdiocesancathedral chapter, still comprising nine members, elected the Polish-speakingFerdinand Piontek ascapitular vicar, whom theGestapo had banned from Breslau in early February 1945. On his return to the town he was sworn in by the chapter on 23 July. On 12 August 1945 CardinalAugust Hlond appeared and demanded Piontek to resign from his office for the archdiocesan territory east of theOder-Neisse line, claiming to act on the authority of papal mandates, however, only applying to the pre-war territory of Poland.
So Piontek – not knowing of the restricted mandate – resigned for the Polish-held parts of the archdiocese, but not for the remaining parts in Czechoslovakia andAllied-occupied Germany. On 15 August Hlond appointed threeapostolic administrators for the Polish part of Wrocław archdiocese, with effect of 1 September. Capitular Vicar Piontek confirmed Onderek on 18 August 1945 als vicar general for the Czechoslovak part of the archdiocese.[4] Piontek was asked to help Karol Milik, the new administrator in Wrocław, and stayed. He could also take care of the Catholic clergy and laymen of German language, who were in the course of expulsion in accordance to thePotsdam Agreement by the Soviet-installed communist authorities.
Pope Pius XII did not recognise Hlond's overbearance. In order to strengthen Piontek's position Pius XII granted him the rights of a residing bishop on 28 February 1946. However, on 9 July the Polish authorities expelled Piontek and he stranded inPeine, then the British zone of occupation. On 31 July Pius XII confirmed Onderek's appointment and advanced him toApostolic Administrator of the Czechoslovak part of the Archdiocese of Breslau (Czech:Apoštolská administratura českotěšínská), seated inČeský Těšín, thus definitely divesting it from Breslau's jurisdiction.[4][5] The Archdiocese of Breslau remained in existencede jure, however, de facto this only applied to the archdiocesan territory in theSoviet Occupation zone of Germany. This also included big parts of thesuffragandiocese of Berlin in the Soviet zone including the Allied-occupied city of Berlin, but not Berlin's diocesan areas east of the Oder-Neisse line.
In 1947 Piontek returned to the Soviet occupied archdiocesan territory west of the Oder-Neisse line and officiated as capitular vicar at the local branch of the archdiocesanordinariate in SilesianGörlitz, built up since October 1945. Despite the anticlerical Soviet policy he managed to build up a newseminary inNeuzelle in 1948, after the old seminary in Poland was inaccessible for candidates from west of the new border. In 1949 Piontek's range of jurisdiction west of the Oder-Neisse line became part ofEast Germany. In 1953 Pius XII invested Piontek with the right to bear acrosier and bestow episcopalblessings. On 23 May 1959 Piontek became titular bishop ofBarca.
The Holy See refused to acknowledge Polish Catholic Church claims to Wrocław, however, and only appointed for the Polish archdiocesan area auxiliary bishops to theArchdiocese of Kraków in order to serve the Poles, who remained in Silesia and those who settled in the region. Legally the archdiocese was still considered part of theFulda Conference of Catholic Bishops inside Germany of the borders of 31 December 1937.
On 28 June 1972, however, – in response to West Germany's change inOstpolitik –Pope Paul VI redrew the archdiocesan boundary along the post-war borders. TheApostolic constitutionVratislaviensis – Berolinensis et aliarum disentangled the East German archdiocesan territory becoming theexempt newApostolic Administration of Görlitz.[6] Breslau's Germansuffragan the Berlin diocese became exempt.
On 27 June 1994Pope John Paul II elevated the apostolic administration to the rank of a diocese, a suffragan to the newly elevatedArchdiocese of Berlin.[7] By hisApostolic exhortationSemper studuit John Paul II confirmed Wrocław's traditionalSaint Hedwig of Silesia as diocesanpatron saint.[8]
Görlitz's territory covers the northeast of today'sSaxony and the southeast of today'sBrandenburg (Lower Lusatia). Comprising prevalently Protestant parts of a former large diocese, the Diocese of Görlitz is by far the smallest German diocese in terms of Catholic membership, thinly dispersed over the territory except forWittichenau (Kulow).
In 1948 Ferdinand Piontek, thencapitular vicar at the local branch of Breslau's archdiocesanordinariate in Görlitz, opened theseminaryBernardinum inNeuzelle. It was merged with that inErfurt in 1993 and its Neuzelle premises were later closed. Its library of more than 30,000 volumes was donated to the seminary of theDiocese of Legnica in 2000.[9]
| Archdioceses |  | |
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| Dioceses | ||
| Other | ||
| Province of Bamberg | |
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| Province of Berlin | |
| Province of Cologne | |
| Province of Freiburg | |
| Province of Hamburg | |
| Province of Munich and Freising | |
| Province of Paderborn | |
| Sui iuris jurisdictions | |
51°08′42″N14°58′45″E / 51.1450°N 14.9791°E /51.1450; 14.9791
