Augustin Bea

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1st row, 4th v. l .: Augustin Cardinal Bea in cardinal costume (1966)
Coat of arms of Augustin Cardinal Bea

Augustin Cardinal Bea SJ (born May 28, 1881 in Riedböhringen near Donaueschingen , † November 16, 1968 in Rome ) was a Curia Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church .

Life

After attending elementary school in Riedböhringen (1888 to 1893) and high school studies at the "Lender'schen Heimschule" in Sasbach , at the Konradihaus and at the grammar school in Konstanz (1897 to 1898) and at the Archbishopric Konvikt in Rastatt (1898 to 1900) Augustin Bea, son of a carpenter, graduated from high school in June 1900 with "very good" in all scientific subjects.

Education

He then studied Catholic theology at the University of Freiburg im Breisgau from 1900 to 1902 . On April 8, 1902, Bea entered the Jesuit order . After a two-year novitiate , he studied philosophy at the Ignatius College in Valkenburg ( Holland ) from 1906 to 1907 and in 1907 became prefect at the College of the Society of Jesus in Sittard (Holland). After a short study stay in Innsbruck in the summer semester of 1910 , where he studied classical philology , he continued his theology studies in Valkenburg in 1910 , where he received the sacrament of ordination through Hermann Juergens on August 25, 1912 . 1913 doctorate he became Dr. theol. He then studied in 1913 at what was then Berlin's Friedrich-Wilhelms University, today's Humboldt University , for another semester of Oriental Studies and in 1917 became superior of the Jesuit community in Aachen .

Scientific activity

In 1917 Bea was appointed professor of Old Testament exegesis and prefect of studies in the Ignatiushaus in Valkenburg and in 1921 was appointed provincial of the newly founded Upper German Order Province of the Society of Jesus in Munich . In 1924 he took over the chair for biblical theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University and at the same time became superior of the religious institute for specialization in philosophy and Catholic theology in Rome . In 1924 he became a professor of introductory biblical studies and Old Testament exegesis. In 1929 he took over the office of visitor to the Catholic University of Tokyo and the order mission in Japan. From 1930 to 1949 he was rector of the Pontifical Biblical Institute .

As chairman of the commission for the new Latin translation of the Psalms (1940-1949), which was commissioned by the Biblical Institute on behalf of Pope Pius XII. was edited, Bea earned great recognition.

Church career

Bea was the confessor of Pope Pius XII. , whom he had already advised on theological and ecclesiastical politics during his time as nuncio in the German Reich. In the Roman Curia he took on tasks as a consultor in various commissions and congregations . In 1931 he was appointed Consultor of the Pontifical Biblical Commission, in 1936 Consultor of the Seminary and University Congregation, since 1949 additionally Consultor of the Congregation of the Holy Office and since 1950 as Consultor of the Congregation of Rites .

On December 14, 1959, he was created cardinal and appointed cardinal deacon with the titeldiakonie San Saba , an early medieval church on the small Aventine . His motto was: In nomine Domini Jesu ("In the name of Jesus the Lord"). As a cardinal he became a member of the Congregation for Rites, the Congregation for Seminaries and Universities, the Congregation for the Oriental Church, and the Commission for Bible Studies.

In addition, Bea was president of the John XXIII. " Secretariat for the Promotion of Christian Unity " set up by the Motu proprio Superno Dei Nutu of June 5, 1960 . Also in 1960 he was commissioned by the Pope to prepare a declaration on the relationship of the Church to Judaism .

On April 19, 1962, Bea received from Pope John XXIII. the episcopal ordination and received the title diocese Germania in Numidia , co- consecrators were Cardinal Giuseppe Pizzardo and Cardinal Benedetto Aloisi Masella . In 1963 he became a member of the Pontifical Commission for the Reform of Canon Law and the Holy Office and in 1964 he was appointed to the Council for the Implementation of Liturgical Reform . In 1965 he was appointed President of the Pontifical Commission for the Neo- Vulgate .

He took part in the Second Vatican Council and from his 1960 for John XXIII. The prepared work resulted in the declaration Nostra Aetate , which contradicted the centuries-old accusation that the Jews were " murderers of God ". Bea was also significantly involved in the creation of the ecumenical decree Unitatis redintegratio and the declaration of freedom of religion Dignitatis humanae . He is said to have had "a tremendous influence on the spirit and outcome of the council".

Shortly before his death in 1968, he was also called as a member of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples .

Cardinal Bea found his final resting place in the parish church of St. Genesius in his home town of Riedböhringen.

Honors

Honorary doctorates

Honorary Senator

  • of the University of Friborg (Switzerland)

Full member

Honorary member

Awards

Apple variety Cardinal Bea

Others

  • After the Second Vatican Council, the Augustin Bea Prize named after him was donated by the International HUMANUM Foundation.
  • The apple variety Cardinal Bea was named in his honor .

Bibliography (selection)

  • The new Latin translation of the Psalms. You will and your spirit. Freiburg i. Brsg. 1949.
  • The unity of Christians, problems and principles, indications and means, realizations and prospects. Freiburg i. Brsg. 1963.
  • Seized by Christ. Meitingen / Freising 1966.
  • The Church and the Jewish People. Freiburg i. Brsg. 1966.
  • The road to unity after the council. Freiburg i. Brsg. 1966.
  • The Church and Humanity. Freiburg i. Brsg. 1967.
  • Ecumenism in the Council - Public Stages of a Surprising Path. Freiburg i. Brsg. 1969.

literature

Web links

Commons : Augustin Bea  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Klemens Stock : Augustin Bea as rector of the Pontifical Biblical Institute and consultor of the Pontifical Biblical Commission . In: Clemens Brodkorb, Dominik Burkard (ed.): The cardinal of unity. On the 50th anniversary of the death of the Jesuit, exegete and ecumenist Augustin Bea (1881–1968) . Schnell + Steiner, Regensburg 2018, pp. 131–148.
  2. ^ Markus Friedrich : The Jesuits. Rise, decline, new beginning. Piper, Munich 2016, ISBN 978-3-492-05539-0 , p. 586
  3. ^ Peace Prize of the German Book Trade 1966: Cardinal Augustin Bea Willem A. Visser't Hooft. (PDF; 186 kB) Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels, April 17, 2006, accessed on November 16, 2018 .
predecessor Office successor
- President of the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity
1960–1968 		Johannes Cardinal Willebrands
personal data
SURNAME Bea, Augustine
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Bea, Augustin Cardinal
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German clergyman, curia cardinal
DATE OF BIRTH May 28, 1881
PLACE OF BIRTH Riedböhringen near Donaueschingen
DATE OF DEATH November 16, 1968
Place of death Rome