Antonius Hofmann

Memorial plaque in Passau Cathedral

Anton Josef Hofmann (born October 4, 1909 in Rinchnach ; † March 11, 2000 in Passau ) was the 82nd Bishop of Passau from 1968 to 1984 .

Life

After studying Catholic theology , Hofmann received the sacrament of ordination on April 13, 1936 in Passau . He then worked first as a cooperator in Heining (1940 to 1946, with an interruption due to military service from 1941 to 1945 as a paramedic) and then as a cathedral cooperator (1946 to 1947) in pastoral care. He was then released to study for a doctorate in theology in Munich , followed by his doctorate in 1951 . In the same year he became a pastor in Aigen am Inn , from 1955 to 1968 he was Regens at the seminary in Passau and at the same time lecturer for pastoral theology at the Philosophical-Theological University of Passau. On November 12, 1965 he was also appointed provost of the cathedral .

Gravesite of the bishops Ow-Felldorf, Landersdorfer and Hofmann

On September 20, 1961, Pope John XXIII appointed him . the titular bishop of Berenice and ordered him to Coadjutor Bishop with the right of succession in the diocese of Passau. He received his episcopal consecration on November 26, 1961, the Passau bishop, Simon Konrad Landersdorfer OSB . He succeeded Bishop Landersdorfer as the 82nd Bishop of Passau on October 27, 1968 and remained in office until John Paul II accepted his resignation on October 15, 1984 for reasons of age .

Hofmann was a participant in the Second Vatican Council from 1962 to 1965 and a member of the Liturgical Commission of the German Bishops' Conference . During his term of office, among other things, the major renovation of St. Stephen's Cathedral in Passau fell from 1972 to 1980. He was also able to campaign for the preservation of the Philosophical-Theological College as part of the newly established University of Passau .

Hofmann died on March 11, 2000 and was buried in the bishop's crypt in Passau Cathedral.

Episcopal coat of arms

The coat of arms is divided into three parts, a golden cross at the bottom in a curved tip, on the right in gold over a green three mountain two diagonally crossed silver Reuthauen with black handles, a reference to his hometown Rinchnach and on the left the diocese coat of arms of the Passau Wolf.

His motto: Minister in medio vestrum ( servant in your midst ).

Awards and honors

• Bavarian Order of Merit
• 1979 Great Cross of Merit of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
• Conventual Chaplain to the Sovereign Order of Malta
• Honorary citizen of Rinchnach
• Honorary citizen of Altötting
• Honorary citizen of Passau
• Honorary Senator of the University of Passau
• Honorary member of the Catholic German Student Union Oeno-Danubia in the CV

literature

• Gerhard Heger:  Antonius Hofmann. In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 20, Bautz, Nordhausen 2002, ISBN 3-88309-091-3 , Sp. 771-772.
• Gerhard Heger (ed.): Bishop in our midst. Winemaker, 2000, ISBN 3-933047-55-2 .
• Anton Josef Hofmann , in: Internationales Biographisches Archiv 45/1985 of October 28, 1985, in the Munzinger Archive ( beginning of article freely accessible)

Web links

• Literature by and about Antonius Hofmann in the catalog of the German National Library
• Entry on Antonius Hofmann on catholic-hierarchy.org ; Retrieved July 17, 2017.