Theodor Innitzer

Theodor Cardinal Innitzer (December 25, 1875 – October 9, 1955) was Archbishop of Vienna and a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church.

Early life

Innitzer was born in Neugeschrei near Weipert, Austria-Hungary. He was the son of a factory worker and, after completing the minimum mandatory school, became an apprentice in a textile factory. The Dean of his home parish supported him, which allowed him to attend a gymnasium (1890–1892 Communal-Gymnasium, 1892–1898 Staatsgymnasium in Kaaden).

Ecclesiastical career

infobox cardinalstyles
cardinal name=Theodor Cardinal Innitzer
dipstyle=His Eminence
offstyle=Your Eminence
See=Vienna|
*1898 – entered the Seminary in Vienna
*1902 – became a priest
*1906 – received his Dr. theol. (Doctorate in Theology)
*1908 to 1911 Privatdozent at the University of Vienna
*1911 to 1932 Professor and (from 1913 Chair for New Testament Exegesis
*1928 to 1929 Rector of the University of Vienna
*1929 to 1930 Minister of Social Affairs in the third government of Chancellor Johann Schober
*1932 Archbishop of Vienna
*1933 Cardinal, Founded the Cathedral and Diocese Museum of Vienna

Political activity and assessment

Innitzer's role in early 20th century Austrian history remains disputed, because of his involvement in politics. This assessment stems from his cooperation with the Austro-fascist government of Engelbert Dollfuß and Kurt Schuschnigg from 1934 to 1938, which based many of its economic and social policies on the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. He and the other Austrian bishops signed a declaration endorsing the Anschluss, set up by Gauleiter Bürckel, and signed by Innitzer with "“Heil Hitler!”". Without the bishops' consent the Nazi regime disseminated this statement throughout the German Reich. Pope Pius XI ordered Cardinal Innitzer to sign a clarification (but which was just published in the Osservatore Romano).

Vatican Radio had immediately broadcast a vehement denunciation of the German action, and Cardinal Pacelli ordered Innitzer to report to Rome. Before meeting with the pope, Innitzer met with Pacelli, who had been outraged by Innitzer's statement. He made it clear that Innitzer needed to retract; he was made to sign a new statement, issued on behalf of all the Austrian bishops, which provided: "“The solemn declaration of the Austrian bishops... was clearly not intended to be an approval of something that was not and is not compatible with God's law”". The Vatican newspaper also reported that the bishops' earlier statement had been issued without the approval of Rome, with fairly netural pope Pius XI disagreeing totally with Innitzer.

In the subsequent months Germany cancelled the concordat in Austria and forbade Church institutions and Catholic newspapers. In 1938, in honor of Hitler’s birthday, Cardinal Innitzer ordered that all Austrian churches fly the swastika flag, ring their bells, and pray for the Nazi dictator. In October 1938 thousands of Catholic youngsters followed an invitation given by Innitzer to gather in the Cathedral of St. Stephen in Vienna for prayer and meditation. In his sermon Innitzer stated: "There is just one Führer: Jesus Christ". The following day about 100 Nazis, among them many older members of the Hitler Youth, ravaged the archbishop's residence. His ambiguous relationship with the Nazi regime brought him a lot of criticism after the war (he was referred to as the "Heil Hitler Cardinal"). During the war Innitzer was critical of the anti-Semitic and racist policies of the Nazis against the Viennese Jews and also the Catholic gypsies of the Austrian countryside.Fact|date=September 2007

He openly, though moderately, supported the war effort against the Soviet Union however. It should be noted that years before, he campaigned against Soviet policies: based on data collected by undercoover investigation and photos, the Cardinal by the end of 1933 made campaigns of awareness in the West about the massive deaths by hunger and even cases of cannibalism that were occurring in Ukraine and the North Caucasus at that time. [ [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,746864,00.html Starvation & Surplus] , "TIME Magazine", January 22, 1934]

Innitzer died in Vienna.

Kardinal Innitzer Prize

The Archdiocese of Vienna annually awards the Kardinal-Innitzer-Preis to scientists and scholars, which is named in honor of Innitzer.

ee also

*List of Austrians
*List of Austrian Politicians

References

External links

* [http://www.aeiou.at/aeiou.film.data.film/f059a.mpg Speech by Innitzer in 1933]