Engelwerk

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Engelwerk , Werk der Heiligen Engel or Opus Sanctorum Angelorum is a spiritual movement founded in 1949 by Gabriele Bitterlich , which was founded in 2008 by Pope Benedict XVI. for the Roman Catholic Church was recognized. According to its own statements, it wants, among other things, “to promote the veneration of holy angels in the church, to sanctify the people of God and, in particular, to assist the priests”.

The Engelwerk is viewed by critics as a sect within the Roman Catholic Church. Some bishops supported the movement, the Archbishop of Salzburg Georg Eder defended it in 2002 against allegations of sects. In 2010, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith attributed a “conformity with the traditional doctrine and the instructions of the highest authority” of the church to the angel work. At the same time, however, it was stated that members of the angel work, including dismissed priests of the order of the Canons Regular of the Holy Cross, did not accept the church norms, but endeavored to restore what they consider to be a "real angel work" that was beyond the control of the church however, present as if she were in full communion with the Catholic Church.

In 1992, the Engelwerk reported a number of “almost 10,000 regulated members”, including around 160 monks and 150 nuns . According to information from the year 2000, the Engelwerk had a million members, including around 50 bishops and several cardinals. According to church estimates from 2010, the association should have around 100 priests and 400 women religious; reliable estimates of lay members and sympathizers are not available. In 2019, the number of members was only estimated at several thousand people worldwide. The center of the Engelwerk is St. Petersberg Castle in Silz (Tyrol) . Today the angel work is widespread in several countries; There are supporters especially in Germany , Austria , Switzerland , Brazil , India , Italy and Portugal . Murder and series of sexual abuse have occurred throughout the history of the community .

aims

According to the article in L'Osservatore Romano , the peculiarity of the angel work consists in the "full development" of the worship of angels; this is concretized in the so-called "consecration to the holy angels", which is seen in analogy to the consecrations to the Heart of Jesus and the Heart of Mary widespread in the history of the Church . Consecration is the dedication of people or objects to the divine cult. The purpose of such consecration is that the consecrated person is placed in the sacred service of God. An ordination is only valid if a person accepts it voluntarily in faith and leads a pleasing life to the glory of God from its strength. One enters the angelic work through personal consecration to the Guardian Angel.

Further goals and tasks of Opus Angelorum are "the renewal of spiritual life in the Church", namely "in the basic directions of worship, contemplation, atonement and mission (apostolate)", as well as to promote the veneration of the holy angels for the To institute sanctification of God's people and especially to assist the priests. Because the angels live in constant adoration of God, adoration takes first place in Opus Angelorum. A special form of prayer is the "Passio Domini", a weekly prayer time on Thursday evenings and Friday afternoons in which one can spiritually unite with the Savior in one's suffering. Although the spirituality of the angelic work is characterized by the worship of angels, at the same time the “focus on God and his service” remains essential.

Public retreats and retreats provide the opportunity to get to know the Engelwerk better. The ascent of members of the Engelwerk takes place through graduated rituals: Guardian Angel Promise, Guardian Angel Consecration (entry into the Engelwerk, for Catholics and earlier also people of different faiths), Angel ordination and atonement . As of 1998, admission to the group of helpers between guardian angel and angel consecration was also completed.

Teaching

At the beginning of Opus Angelorum and its teaching stood Gabriele Bitterlich , who claimed to receive private revelations from angels. Lies by Engelwerk members bitterly justified as "angelic spirituality". The contents of the alleged revelations have been examined by the ecclesiastical authority since 1951 with negative results.

The texts mention a “magical square, which every demon stretches over creation and fills in with numbers behind which demons stand. With these demons he then makes his moves. "In the handbook of the Engelwerk , published in Innsbruck in 1961 and made famous in 1987 by the Munich auxiliary bishop Heinrich von Soden-Fraunhofen , animals particularly susceptible to demonic radiation are listed:" the gray, spotted and black cats, the spotted and black hens, the pigs and the smooth-haired dogs, the blowflies, rats and snakes ”. Sheep, deer, all songbirds, bees and ladybirds, “all fish and whales except predatory fish and eels” are “not susceptible”. In the same place, a “widely known radiance” is ascribed to the “wonderful medal” . Furthermore, the alleged private revelations state that children who cannot look at the pastor or young women who have miscarried are infested with demons; just as many “ gypsies ”, midwives and peasant women. Of the 243 demons known by name, there are those specifically responsible for “Jewish trade, red workers and journalists”; at Ahasuerus it were the "spirit of the cursed Jewish people." Only through the worship of 400 angels can one protect oneself from them. Founder of the plant bitterly justified lies , insofar as they were used as a means to an end, as “angelic spirituality”. In the manual it is stated verbatim: “Nobody is allowed to say anything about what he has seen, heard or been asked to do. Usually death is on it ”. The Regensburg theologian Johann Auer said after two reports on this subject: “I have to admit that I tend to attribute all of this thinking to paranoid schizophrenia .” The Dutch Dominican and theologian Johannes van der Ploeg also came to a negative result. The author Heinz Gstrein , who is close to the Engelwerk, complained of anti-Semitic statements in the Engelwerk's manual. The community did not respond to the allegations of racism and discrimination (as of 1999).

On the other hand, Engelwerk member Franziskus Peter Färber ORC claimed in 1984 in his dissertation submitted to Claus Schedl , citing Bitterlich's allegedly credible charisma , that the Jews had managed to put a demon on the side of God with the angel Metatron, known from Jewish mysticism .

On June 6, 1992, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith came to the conclusion with the decree Litteris diei that “the angelic doctrine peculiar to Opus Angelorum and certain practices derived from it are alien to Holy Scripture and tradition and therefore not as a basis for spirituality and Activity of ecclesiastically recognized associations. "Particular mention was made of" Theories [...] about the world of angels, their personal names, their groups and tasks. "

In 2010, Engelwerk stated that it would comply with these requirements. In October 2010 this was also stated by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. A few months later, on April 15, 2011, L'Osservatore Romano , the official daily newspaper of the Vatican , published a detailed article on the teachings of the angelic work as they were presented after the years of the Roman examination:

According to the letter of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith of 2010, which stated that the angel work corresponded to the traditional teaching of the church, it could be assumed that conflicting contents would no longer be disseminated by the angel work.

The alleged private revelations of Gabriele Bitterlich were said to have Gnostic features ; they went back to Kabbalah and Persian dualism .

In the summer of 2011, the community stated that they had given up Bitterlich's content. Since 2017, the Engelwerk has been referring again openly to Gabriele Bitterlich's teachings, which it describes as "fundamental charisma", and claims that she received private revelations from God , Mary and the angels. God's tool was bitter for the introduction of the angelic work into the Catholic Church and became a spiritual mother in the deepest sense of the word.

history

The community goes back to the alleged private revelations of the Tyrolean Gabriele Bitterlich (1896–1978), who is venerated as a “mother” and who is said to have seen her guardian angel for the first time when she was four years old; her records grew over time to supposedly over 80,000 manuscript pages. Bitterlich's central concern was to raise awareness of the existence of angels. Particularly important was the relationship between the individual and his or her personal guardian angel, which was supposed to be strengthened by a so-called angel consecration. The angel work came into being on April 20, 1949 through the merger of several priests to worship angels.

Seat of the Engelwerk and the new order of the cross: St. Petersberg Castle in Silz, Tyrol

In 1951, the ordination of guardian angels, angels and atonement were recognized by the Innsbruck diocesan bishop Paulus Rusch . Part of the angel work received a diocesan framework in the Guardian Angel Brotherhood, canonically established in 1961 by Bishop Rusch in Innsbruck-Wilten ( Sodalitium in honorem SS. Angelorum Custodum ). In 1965 the Guardian Angel Brotherhood acquired the medieval castle St. Petersberg near Silz (Tyrol).

In 1979, some members of the Engelwerk revived the Order of Canon Regulars of the Holy Cross (" Order of the Cross"), which was founded in 1131 and died out in 1903; the restoration began with the papal decree Perantiquus Ordo of May 29, 1979. The first superior of the re-established Order of the Cross since 1980 was João Pereira Venâncio , formerly Bishop of Leiria . The priests Norbert Tscholl and Reinhard Knittel were incardinated in the diocese of Anápolis despite their membership in the Order of the Cross . Since 1979 St. Petersberg has been the seat of a monastery of the Order of the Cross. The order is officially commissioned to look after the angel work.

According to the “4. Lesson letter from the Corpus Operis Sanctorum Angelorum “at the Rectorate of the Guardian Angel Brotherhood. In several dioceses, priestly communities of the angel work were established, mostly referred to as the “priestly community of the Holy Cross”. Members of the priestly communities are members of the angel work, but in contrast to the priests of the regular canons of the Holy Cross mostly diocesan priests or belong to other orders. In Germany, the priestly community in Maria Vesperbild was founded on February 22, 1969 by the Augsburg bishop Josef Stimpfle .

In 1983 the Engelwerk University, the Institutum Sapientiæ in Anápolis , Brazil , was founded under the direction of the Order of the Cross. Its first rector was Ingo Dollinger . The plan to open a branch of the university in the Kartause Gaming failed in 1987 due to resistance from the St. Pölten diocesan bishop Franz Žak . In May 1988 there was a robbery on the Institutum Sapientiæ, in which the robbers fell into the hands of large amounts of cash and gold as well as a pistol from the adjoining monastery of the Cross . The Engelwerk admitted that the attack had taken place, but claimed that the amount of loot stated in a report by journalist Margit Pieber was "completely wrong".

In 1988, Friedrich Cardinal Wetter forbade all activities of the Engelwerk in the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising , and numerous dioceses in German-speaking countries joined in the following years. Under the direction of the Engelwerk critic Marianne Poppenwimmer, relatives of Engelwerk members from Germany and Austria came together in 1990 to form the still existing initiative of families damaged by the Engelwerk .

In 1990, the Engelwerk was a voting member of the Unified Apostolate in the Spirit of Mary, which was not recognized by the church, and as such cooperated with other Marian groups such as the Servants of Jesus and Mary (SJM) , the Catholic Scouting Society of Europe (KPE) , Radio Maria e. V. and the Marian Priestly Movement (MPB) .

In 1990 the theologian Heinz Gstrein criticized that an "exorcistic wing of the angel work" would resort to the expulsion of devils in pastoral care without sufficient distinction. As an example, he referred to a case in the Indian state of Kerala , where a spiritual house, the head of which had sexually abused members, turned to the angel work for advice and help. As a result, the Engelwerk fought the "homosexual demons Dragon, Varina and Selithareth". This led to a sex murder by the head of that house. The exorcism took place on the condition that nothing should happen to the perpetrator, not even his removal. The Engelwerk attributed the murder to Dragon, "idol of assassination, the Sodomite sin, blood revenge and blood rush". In India, violations of the law are already subject to the mandatory reporting requirement , which is subject to criminal penalties , when they are only at the planning stage. Failure to report is threatened with up to a quarter of the maximum penalty applicable for the offense in question .

In 1993 the Engelwerk priest Frederico Cunha ORC, already known as a pedophile, was sentenced to 13 years imprisonment by the district court in Santa Cruz on Madeira for murder and attempted sexual abuse of young people . The trial was accompanied by numerous attempts to cover up the circumstances : The Bishop of Funchal, Teodoro de Faria , against his better judgment , described Cunha as “innocent like Jesus Christ ”, who had been condemned by the Jews “despite his innocence” . The court learned of several attempts by Engelwerk priests to incite witnesses to give false evidence . As early as 1993, Cunha had stated in the Portuguese weekly Expresso : “In reality, I have never belonged to the Order of Canon Regulars of the Holy Cross. I never wanted to belong to him either. ”He also stated that in 1977 he completed a“ non-canonical novitiate ”in the Engelwerk for six months and then left the community in 1978. “I went away of my own free will, I repeat, because I saw that this order did not correspond to my calling.” In the Catholic Church there is neither a six-month nor a non-canonical novitiate ; the order, allegedly rejected by Cunha in 1978, has only existed since 1979. Due to his ordination as a Guardian Angel, Cunha saw himself still connected to the movement of the angel work, but had worked as a diocesan priest. Bishop Teodorio de Faria was convicted in 1994 of putting pressure on the judiciary. In the journal Kirche internally published by Rudolf Schermann , the Order of the Cross claimed that Cunha had never been a member of the order. In 2004, 2006, 2010 and 2014, however, Cunha's membership in the order was documented in various reports on the basis of detailed information about his accession in Italy, his religious vows taken there , Cunha's habit , peculiarities of the order and the stay of the Father in the Casa do Caniçal monastery on Madeira . In April 1998, Cunha fled to Rio de Janeiro during a temporary release . There he was again convicted of sexually abusing a student in 2007 and arrested. Nevertheless, he remained a registered priest of the diocese of Funchal (as of November 2017). In 2016, he said he had been convicted of his homosexual tendencies , which he had denied in 1998. Cunha's case was the first sex crime established by a priest in the history of Portugal and the only case in which a murderer was actively covered by his religious community and the local bishop (as of 2014). It was also the criminal case with the greatest media attention in the history of Portugal. In April 2018, the murder became statute-barred under Portuguese law.

In 1993, the specialist journalist Heiner Boberski published reports on people who suffered serious physical or psychological damage or who had committed suicide when they came into contact with the community . On June 23, 1971 the Chilean Anna Maria Lagos, who was not a member of the plant, committed suicide above St. Petersberg Castle; According to the Engelwerk priest Georg Blaskó, a poison vial was found next to the body . In 1974 the Engelwerk confirmed the medically determined suicide; In 1990, however, the representatives of the Engelwerk on Austrian broadcasting wrongly spoke of an "accident". There was no evidence of a criminal offense in the Lagos case. Families in Munich , Lappersdorf and Windischgarsten broke up after relatives joined the Engelwerk. In 1974 a criminal complaint was brought against members of the Engelwerk, including a priest, for a property offense. The injured widow received the majority of her property back from the Engelwerk “Werk Sanitas” association, and the donation was reversed.

In connection with the Engelwerk, at the beginning of the 2001/2002 school year at the Auerbacher Realschule there was a conflict between the Auerbach school sisters and the Bavarian Ministry of Education , the Archdiocese of Bamberg and the other sponsors of the association, the district of Amberg-Sulzbach and the city of Auerbach, there At the school, 14 pages were torn out of the biology books approved by the ministry for the 10th grade on the subject of "Sexuality and Reproduction" and shortly afterwards the biology book for the 8th grade was also withdrawn. In the opinion of critics, this was used to exercise censorship . Furthermore, there were reports about scary pedagogy in kindergarten, such as threatening hell punishments , dress codes for schoolgirls and connections between several members of the order to the Engelwerk. The Engelwerk youth organization, Catholic Scouting in Europe , reported in 1994 that seven of its members were teaching at the school. After an intervention by Minister of Education Monika Hohlmeier (CSU) , the Vatican deposed the Bavarian provincial leadership of the school sisters. Six of the twelve nuns employed at the school left the school and were able to settle in their dioceses with the support of the former (arch) bishops of Salzburg and St. Pölten , Georg Eder and Kurt Krenn , who himself belonged to the Engelwerk. In January 2002 Eder compared the state measures in this matter with the methods of the Nazi regime ; the methods were the same and only the actors would have changed. He admitted "own good experiences" with the Engelwerk and denied that it was a sect . The Salzburg auxiliary bishop Andreas Laun also defended the conduct of the nuns concerned. The Bavarian state parliament , however, welcomed the departure of the teachers associated with the Engelwerk.

In 2006 a member of the Order of the Cross was raised to the rank of auxiliary bishop in the Kazakh diocese of Karaganda : Athanasius Schneider ORC, a native of Tokmok in what is now Kyrgyzstan.

In its February 2014 report on children's rights in the Roman Catholic Church, the United Nations expressed concern about the situation among the Legionaries of Christ , who would alienate children and young people from their families. It is about manipulation by groups close to the church. Spiegel Online also counted the Engelwerk among these groups.

Roman Catholic Church and Engelwerk

Sect commissioners and bishops within the Catholic Church classify the Opus Angelorum as a fundamentalist association. The angelic hierarchies and the visions of the scriptures are incompatible with the teaching of the Catholic Church. The secrecy of the writings would rather a secret society suggest as a renewal movement. For the former Regensburg dogmatics professor Wolfgang Beinert , a long-time companion of Joseph Ratzinger, who later became Pope Benedict XVI. , the Engelwerk is "a characteristic example of the 'charismatic' type" of Catholic "fundamentalism", while the personal prelature Opus Dei embodies "in a very pure form the type of 'rational' fundamentalism". There are members of the Engelwerk and the Order of the Cross who deny their membership and are internally listed as "old Angelus" ( Latin for "other angel"). The Engelwerk also helps theology students whose suitability is in doubt to be ordained a priest. Young people who join the work are isolated from their families and treated like serfs. Excessive prayer duties and hostile morals put them in a pathological fear.

On September 24, 1983, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith forbade the use of the angel names mentioned by Gabriele Bitterlich as well as the demand for a promise of silence and demanded strict adherence to liturgical norms.

In May 1990, the director of the Bavarian Catholic Academy , Franz Henrich , described the Engelwerk as a “band of robbers, some of which is covered by bishops”. It declares itself very pious, but is simply a sect. Henrich was then insulted in October 1990 by the Engelwerk supporter Eva Maria Braunweiler from Ottobrunn as a “sheer rationalist, time dwarf and desk doer ” who desperately needed a major exorcism and secreted “soul mud”.

On June 6, 1992, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith declared that its decisions had not been correctly interpreted and carried out and decided:

"I. The theories from the alleged revelations received from Ms. Gabriele Bitterlich about the world of angels, their personal names, their groups and tasks, may not be taught or used in any way, explicitly or implicitly, in the organization and in the implementation structure ('Scaffolding ') of Opus Angelorum as well as in cult, in prayers, in spiritual formation, in public and private spirituality, in office or apostolate. The same is true of any other institute or association recognized by the Church. The use and distribution of the books as well as other writings containing the aforementioned theories is prohibited inside and outside the association.

II. The various forms of 'consecration of angels' that are practiced in the angel work are forbidden.

III. In addition, both the so-called 'remote dispensing' of the sacraments and the inclusion of texts, prayers and rites that directly or indirectly refer to the theories mentioned are prohibited in the Eucharistic liturgy or the Liturgy of the Hours.

IV. Exorcisms may only be carried out according to the norms and discipline of the Church on this question and using the formulas approved by the Church.

V. A delegate with special powers appointed by the Holy See will, in contact with the bishops, review and urge the application of the above norms. He will endeavor to clarify and regulate the relationship between Opus Angelorum and the Order of the Regulated Canons of the Holy Cross. "

- Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

The founder's son, Father Hansjörg Bitterlich , who had been head of the St. Petersberg Monastery until then, expressed vehement criticism of these decisions by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and was then deposed and exclaustrated by the order . In 1997, shortly before his death the following year, he maintained contacts with the Islamic Gülen movement from Turkey .

Believers around Hansjörg Bitterlich founded the so-called Engelbund, which spread the private revelations and mixed them with those of Maria Magdalena Meyer. On August 15, 2011, the websites concerned were taken offline. From November 2011 their contents were available again in a shortened form.

On May 31, 2000, a rewritten prayer for the ordination of angels was approved by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for use in Opus Angelorum.

The Canon Regular of the Holy Cross and theologian William Wagner stated in an article in 2002 that after examining the writings of Gabriele Bitterlich it was clear that a certain part of the teachings contained therein were alien to the Holy Scriptures and the tradition of the Catholic Church. So this part of the scriptures could not be used as the basis of spirituality or the conduct of any group within the Catholic Church. The decree of 1992 judges neither the personal life of Gabriele Bitterlich nor the origin or the veracity of her writings. Wagner describes the focus that Bitterlich's alleged private revelations show, namely the glorification of God and the salvation and sanctification of souls, as an essential perspective for correctly understanding the apocalyptic mission of the angels in the church. The basis of the doctrine and spirituality of the angel work is the Holy Scriptures and the living tradition of the Church. The concrete contents that the angelic work represented were named: The existence of angels, their task as servants and messengers of God, their reference to Jesus Christ - especially with regard to his earthly work, their presence in the entire history of salvation, the memory of the Archangels Michael , Gabriel and Raphael , the belief in a personal guardian angel . For the various contents, the article refers to the corresponding numbers in the Catechism of the Catholic Church .

On November 7, 2008, as became known in October 2010, the statutes of the "Opus Angelorum" were renewed by the Vatican Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and for Societies of Apostolic Life on behalf of Pope Benedict XVI. recognized. These presuppose that the restrictions set out in the decree of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith of June 6, 1992 would be observed. According to the Engelwerk, this has happened.

In January 2009, the former Cross Order Father Markus Kocher resigned from the Order and the Engelwerk. After the papal recognition of the work became known, he stated that he had been on the victim's side within the community and not on the side of the aggressors, and offered his help to dropouts.

On April 7, 2010, Father Daniel Ols OP , the delegate authorized by the Holy See for the Angel Work, wrote to its members that the publication of numerous texts by Gabriele Bitterlich for use by members would undoubtedly play an important role in the continuation of the chosen path.

In October 2010 the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith under William Joseph Levada summarized the development of the angel work over the last 30 years in a letter to the chairmen of the bishops' conferences and ascribed a positive development to the work: “Today we can assume that Opus Angelorum, thanks to the The obedience of its members lives loyally and faithfully in accordance with the teaching of the Church as well as the liturgical and canonical prescriptions. ”Fr. Benoît Duroux OP, who was appointed by the Holy See in 1992 as a delegate for the angelic work, had succeeded in the task entrusted to him fulfill.

“The normalization of the situation is particularly evident in the following points: On May 31, 2000, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith approved the formula of an ordination to the holy angels for Opus Angelorum .
With the consent of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life then approved the Statute of Opus Sanctorum Angelorum , which regulates, among other things, the relationship between Opus Angelorum and the Order of Canon Regulars of the Holy Cross .
According to this statute, the Opus Angelorum is a public association of the Catholic Church with legal personality according to can. 313 CIC; according to can. 677 § 2 CIC affiliated to the Order of Canon Regulars of the Holy Cross and according to can. 303 CIC under his direction.
In addition, the Constitutions of the Sisters of the Holy Cross have been approved by the Bishop of Innsbruck. Finally, the Order of Canon Regulars of the Holy Cross , whose leadership was appointed on October 30, 1993 by the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life [sic!] And Societies of Apostolic Life , had its own Superior General and members of the General Council in early 2009 choose."

- Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith came to the conclusion that Opus Angelorum presented itself as “a public association of the Church in accordance with traditional doctrine and the instructions of the highest authority.” Its activities were described as follows: “It spreads the worship of the holy angels the faithful, calls to prayer for the priests, promotes love for Christ in his suffering and solidarity with him. "For the bishops in the individual dioceses there is therefore" no doctrinal or disciplinary obstacle to accepting this association in their dioceses to promote its growth. "

At the same time, the letter indicated to the ordinaries that some members of the angel work, including resigned or dismissed members of the Order of Canon Regulars of the Holy Cross, did not accept the norms issued by the Church. The activities of these persons are carried out in a very discreet way and give the impression that they are in full communion with the Catholic Church. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith asks the ordinaries to be vigilant in this regard.

At the same time, the Eichstatt Bishop Gregor Maria Hanke imputed all Catholic educational institutions, which also refused to accept the part of the Engelwerk, which was in unity with the Church, that they wanted to “throw out the child with the bath”. Hanke pointed out that only the Plankstetten monastery, which he led as abbot of the Benedictines until 2006, had acted contrary, and supported the papal recognition of the group.

Even after the papal recognition of the angel work and its sub-organizations, criticism was exercised within the church; The priest and non-fiction author Hermann-Josef Frisch accused the Engelwerk und Kreuzorden in 2014 of being “rather absurd” communities. In 2017 Johannes zu Eltz , cathedral capitular in the diocese of Limburg , described the angel work as a “cabbalistic sect” against which the bishops were rightly “drawn to the field” and which they had “flattened”.

Known members, employees, followers or supporters

→ Compare also category: Person (Engelwerk)

The following people, among others, are or were known as members, employees, followers or supporters of the Engelwerk:

Movies

  • Devil, God's punishment and eternal damnation . Rainer Ritzel and Stefan Sandor, documentary 1993
  • Sold soul . Director: Anton Reitzenstein, feature film 1994
  • Heaven and hell . Director: Hans-Christian Schmid , feature film 1994

literature

Writings of the Engelwerk

  • Manual of the Engelwerk. Self-published, Innsbruck 1961.
  • Angels of the day and angels of movable feasts , two volumes. Guardian Angel Brotherhood , Innsbruck 1969, DNB 551751886 .
  • Rituals of the Opus Sanctorum Angelorum. Guardian Angel Brotherhood, Innsbruck 1970.
  • Ida Lüthold-Minder : Led by God . Publisher: Guardian Angel Brotherhood , Innsbruck 1978, ISBN 3-265-77548-8 .
  • Hansjörg Bitterlich : She saw the angels: Mother Gabriele Bitterlich, 1896–1978: Life and Mission. Schmid-Fehr publishing house, Goldach SG 1989, DNB 1137962283

Secondary literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ About us. In: engelwerk.at. Retrieved April 5, 2020 .
  2. ↑ a b c Manfred Rebhandl : In Austria everyone lives on their island. In: Welt.de . December 15, 2017, accessed April 6, 2020 .
  3. ↑ a b Barbara Hans: Catholic sect Engelwerk: "They destroyed our daughter". In: Spiegel Online . October 14, 2010, accessed October 14, 2010 .
  4. ↑ a b Brief information and contact. Initiative of angels damaged families Brief information, 2020, accessed on April 6, 2020 . Christian Lichtenstern: Ingo Dollinger is dead. In: Augsburger Allgemeine . June 16, 2017, archived from the original on September 4, 2017 ; accessed on April 6, 2020 .
  5. ↑ a b Andreas Laun: Laun defends Auerbach school sisters. In: kath.net. March 5, 2002, archived from the original on March 5, 2002 ; accessed on April 6, 2020 .
  6. ↑ a b Archbishop of Salzburg stands behind "Auerbach School Sisters". In: kath.net . January 5, 2002, accessed April 6, 2020 .
  7. ↑ a b Hanke defends Engelwerk. In: Vatican Radio . October 18, 2010, accessed April 6, 2020 .
  8. ↑ a b New instructions about the angel work. In: vaticanhistory.de. November 4, 2010, accessed January 6, 2018 .
  9. ↑ [ww.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20101002_opus-angelorum_ge.html vatican.de: William Levada, Luis F. Ladaria, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith: Letter to the chairmen of the Episcopal Conferences Sanctorum regarding the developments of the Angelorum of October 2, 2010].
  10. ↑ Heiner Boberski: The angel work. Theory and Practice of Opus Angelorum. Otto Müller Verlag, Salzburg 1993, p. 289
  11. ↑ a b c d e f g Petra Bleisch: Engelwerk. In: Relinfo.ch . 1998, accessed April 6, 2020 .
  12. ^ Vatican approves statute for reformed angel work. In: kathpress . October 11, 2010, archived from the original on October 25, 2010 ; accessed on April 6, 2020 .
  13. ↑ Karin Nusko: Bitterly Gabriele, born. Göhlert: mystic and founder of the Engelwerk. In: univie.ac.at . April 6, 2020, accessed April 6, 2020 .
  14. ↑ a b Quoted in: Martin Haidinger and others: Mighty - Male - Mysterious: Secret societies in Austria. Ecowin, Wals, 2005, ISBN 978-3-902404-16-9 ( preview in Google Books ).
  15. ↑ a b c d Manuel Catarino: Os pecados mortais do Padre Frederico. In: Correio da Manhã . May 20, 2006, archived from the original on December 12, 2013 ; Retrieved April 6, 2020 (Portuguese).
  16. ↑ a b The manual of the angel work. Innsbruck 1961, p. 252. Paragraph Power of silence over reality
  17. ↑ a b c d Walter Axtmann: Engelwerk: Murder on Madeira . In Kirche intern , May 1995, pp. 41–42.
  18. ↑ a b César Principe: Ementas do Paraíso: uma cruzada contra os infiéis do fast-food. Campo das Letras, Porto, 2004, ISBN 972-610-893-4 , p. 269
  19. ↑ a b c Lília Bernardes: Igreja nunca pagou indemnização aos pais da vítima do padre Frederico. In: Diário de Notícias . March 29, 2010, archived from the original on January 29, 2012 ; Retrieved April 6, 2020 (Portuguese).
  20. ↑ Eles deram o salto. In: Correio da Manhã . May 18, 2003, accessed April 6, 2020 (Portuguese).
  21. ↑ a b David Berger : The holy glow. Ullstein eBooks 2013, Item 932 ff. ISBN 978-3-8437-0770-1
  22. ^ A b Miguel Fernandes Luís: Padre Frederico escapa ao castigo. In: Diário de Notícias. March 4, 2018, accessed April 6, 2020 (Portuguese).
  23. ↑ a b c What is the spirituality of the “Opus Sanctorum Angelorum”? In: L'Osservatore Romano , April 15, 2011, p. 9.
    The Opus Sanctorum Angelorum. In: L'Osservatore Romano. March 23, 2011, pp. 12–15 , accessed on February 22, 2018 (English, reproduced on vatican.va).
  24. ^ Formula of the consecration prayer. In: Engelwerk. Retrieved April 6, 2020 .
  25. ↑ Theological basis of an angel consecration. In: Engelwerk. Retrieved April 6, 2020 .
  26. ↑ a b About Us. In: Engelwerk. Retrieved April 6, 2020 .
  27. ↑ Membership in the work of the holy angels. In: Engelwerk. Retrieved April 6, 2020 .
  28. ^ Rituals of the Opus Sanctorum Angelorum. Innsbruck 1970, pages 8 and 19-24. OCLC 816046958
  29. ^ A b c d William Wagner: The Work of the Holy Angels and Its Mission within the Church. In: opusangelorum.org. 2008, accessed December 14, 2019 .
  30. ↑ Heiner Boberski: The angel work. Theory and Practice of Opus Angelorum. Otto Müller Verlag, Salzburg 1993, p. 42
  31. ↑ Helmut Birkhan : Magic in the Middle Ages. CH Beck Verlag, Munich 2010, ISBN 978-3-406-60632-8 , p. 96 ( preview in Google Books ).
  32. ↑ Roman Hanig: The demonic hierarchy of the angel work. (pdf; 1.7 MB) In: Munich Theological Journal . 49/3, 1998, accessed April 6, 2020 .
  33. ↑ a b Gernot Facius : Bizarre “Engelwerk” celebrates recognition by the Pope. In: welt.de . October 10, 2010, accessed April 6, 2020 .
  34. ↑ Heiner Boberski: Religiously camouflaged virus: Heaven, hell and demons - what is behind the "Engelwerk"? In: Wiener Zeitung . December 9, 2005, archived from the original on March 25, 2007 ; accessed on April 6, 2020 .
  35. ↑ Josef Sudbrack : Heiner Boberski, “Das Engelwerk. A secret society in the Catholic Church? ” (Pdf; 12.5 MB) In: Materialdienst der EZW 12/1990. December 1, 1990, p. 364 , accessed April 3, 2020 (book review).
  36. ↑ Work of the holy angels: The manual of the angel work. Innsbruck 1961, page 182
  37. ^ Barbara Hans , Christian Wiesel: Christian Fundamentalism - Church of Extreme. In: Spiegel Online . February 5, 2009, accessed April 6, 2020 .
  38. ↑ Hansjakob Stehle : "At risk are midwives, peasant women, gypsies and old vengeful farmers": demons in red and black. In: Zeit.de . June 15, 1990, archived from the original on October 24, 2010 ; accessed on April 6, 2020 .
  39. ↑ The manual of the angel work. Innsbruck 1961, p. 244
  40. ↑ Vatican gives its blessing to Engelwerk. In: Spiegel Online. October 9, 2010, accessed April 6, 2020 .
  41. ↑ Heiner Boberski: The angel work. Theory and Practice of Opus Angelorum . Otto Müller Verlag, Salzburg 1993, p. 42.
  42. ↑ a b Heiner Boberski: The angel factory. Theory and Practice of Opus Angelorum. Otto Müller Verlag, Salzburg 1993, p. 23.
  43. ↑ Heinz Gstrein: Angel work or devil power? Edition Tau, Mattersburg-Katzelsdorf 1990, p. 219.
  44. ↑ Thomas Hofer: God's right church: Catholic fundamentalists on the advance. Ueberreuter, Vienna 1998, ISBN 3-8000-3675-4 , p. 127.
  45. ↑ Heiner Boberski: The angel work. Theory and Practice of Opus Angelorum . Otto Müller Verlag, Salzburg 1993, p. 184
  46. ↑ a b c Joseph Ratzinger, Alberto Bovone, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith: Decree on the doctrine and practices of the so-called community "Engelwerk". In: vatican.va. June 6, 1992, accessed February 22, 2018 .
  47. ↑ a b Storia dell'Opera dei Santi Angeli. In: operadeisantiangeli.org. Archived from the original on October 17, 2010 ; accessed on April 6, 2020 (Italian).
  48. ^ A b c d William Levada, Luis F. Ladaria, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith: Letter to the presidents of the Bishops' Conferences regarding the developments of the Opus Sanctorum Angelorum. In: vatican.va. Retrieved October 2, 2010, April 6, 2020 (reproduced on vatican.va).
  49. ↑ The Opus Sanctorum Angelorum. In: L'Osservatore Romano. April 15, 2011, p. 9 , accessed April 6, 2020 (reproduced on vatican.va). Opus Sanctorum Angelorum: Those who See the Face of God. Summer 2011, accessed April 6, 2020 .
  50. ^ Opus Angelorum: God is Good - Mother Gabriele Bitterlich: Her Life and Work. (pdf; 6.4 MB) In: Catalog 2017–2018. January 2017, p. 1 , accessed on March 1, 2018 (English).
  51. ↑ Hansjörg Bitterlich: She saw the angels. Schmid-Fehr-Verlag, Goldach 1990, p. 99.
  52. ↑ Engelwerk: War against the devil, ideas from the Middle Ages. In: mopo.de . February 7, 2009, archived from the original on July 15, 2015 ; accessed on April 7, 2020 .
  53. ↑ Heiner Boberski: The angel work. Theory and Practice of the Opus Sanctorum Angelorum . Otto Müller Verlag 1993, page 296
  54. ↑ a b The History of the Order of the Cross. In: St. Petersberg Monastery - The Order of Canon Regulars of the Holy Cross. 2011, archived from the original on February 16, 2015 ; accessed on April 7, 2020 .
  55. ↑ Heiner Boberski: The angel work. Theory and Practice of Opus Angelorum. Otto Müller Verlag Salzburg 1993, pp. 80, 228f.
  56. ^ Rituals of the Opus Sanctorum Angelorum. Innsbruck 1970.
  57. ↑ Heiner Boberski: The angel work. Theory and Practice of Opus Angelorum . Otto Müller Verlag, Salzburg 1993, p. 289 f.
  58. ↑ Heiner Boberski: The angel work. Theory and Practice of Opus Angelorum . Otto Müller Verlag, Salzburg 1993, p. 248.
  59. ↑ Heiner Boberski : The angel work. Theory and Practice of Opus Angelorum . Otto Müller Verlag, Salzburg 1993, p. 97
  60. ↑ Heiner Boberski: In the realm of angels and demons. In: Ders .: Mighty - Male - Mysterious. Ecowin Verlag , Salzburg 2005 ( preview in Google Books ).
  61. ↑ Heinz Gstrein: Angel work or devil power? P. 170.
  62. ↑ For the names of demons, compare: The manual of the angel work. Innsbruck 1961, pp. 131, 156, 159 and 167
  63. ^ Section 120 in The Indian Penal Code. In: indiankanoon.org. Retrieved April 7, 2020 .
  64. ^ Ribeiro Cardoso: Jardim, a grande fraude. Editorial Caminho, Lisbon, 2011, ISBN 978-972-21-2406-5 . Chapter from Os “azares” do padre Frederico ( when previewed on Google Books )
  65. ^ Ivo Fontes: Casos de abusos sexuais. (pdf; 108 kB) In: Abuso sexual de menores. University of Coimbra , January 2006, p. 8 , accessed April 7, 2020 (Portuguese). Pedophilia: un prêtre portugais condamné. In: Le Figaro . December 2, 2013, accessed April 7, 2020 (French).
  66. ↑ a b Mariana Oliveira: Procurador recorda pressões no caso do padre Frederico. In: Público . March 21, 2010, accessed April 7, 2020 (Portuguese).
  67. ↑ Bárbara Reis: Padre Frederico, outro país. In: Público. December 9, 2012, accessed April 7, 2020 (Portuguese).
  68. ↑ Bispo do Funchal reconhece Práticas pedófilas. In: Paróquias de Portugal. April 11, 2002, accessed February 25, 2014 (Portuguese). Rosário Martins: O escândalo que abalou a Igreja na Madeira. In: Funchal Notícias . May 25, 2015, accessed April 7, 2020 (Portuguese).
  69. ↑ a b Jorge Freitas Sousa: Padre Frederico só cumpriu a pena de 'expulsão'. In: Diário de Notícias. October 22, 2013, accessed April 8, 2020 (Portuguese).
  70. ↑ a b Frederico Marcos da Cunha: Crúzios quiseram 'crucifiar' Padre Frederico? In: Expresso , January 10, 1993: “Realmente, eu nunca pertenci à Ordem dos Cônegos Regrantes de Santa Cruz. Nem nunca desejei pertencer. "
  71. ↑ can. 648 §1 CIC
  72. ↑ Roberto Ferreira: O silêncio ensurdecedor da Igreja do Funchal. In: Diário de Notícias . March 13, 2016, accessed April 8, 2020 (Portuguese).
  73. ↑ Engelwerk denials. In Kirche intern July 1995, p. 6.
  74. ↑ a b On Rothkranz and the Casa do Caniçal see also Heiner Boberski: Das Engelwerk. Theory and Practice of Opus Angelorum. Otto Müller Verlag, Salzburg 1993, pp. 222-228
  75. ↑ a b c Ricardo Soares: Terceiro escândalo sexual na Igreja da Madeira. In: Tribuna da Madeira . April 9, 2014, archived from the original on April 2, 2015 ; Retrieved April 8, 2020 (Portuguese).
  76. ^ Ana Santos: Padre Frederico preso no Brasil - ninguém segura o padre. In: Sol . May 20, 2007, archived from the original on April 7, 2011 ; Retrieved April 8, 2020 (Portuguese).
  77. ↑ Sergio Torres: Padre fugitivo quer trabalhar com carentes. In: Folha de S. Paulo . April 11, 1998, accessed April 8, 2020 (Portuguese). Miguel Silva: Padre Frederico: “Não penso regressar, mas podia voltar e rezar missa”. In: Diário de Notícias. February 13, 2016, archived from the original on February 14, 2016 ; Retrieved April 8, 2020 (Portuguese). António Fontes: O ferrari do padre Giselo. In: Diário de Notícias. November 19, 2017, accessed April 8, 2020 (Portuguese). Carlos Diogo Santos: A nova vida do padre Frederico. In: Revista Sol . July 24, 2015, accessed April 8, 2020 (Portuguese).
  78. ↑ Miguel Fernandes Luís, Roberto Ferreira: Dec mandados de detenção activos na Comarca da Madeira. In: Diário de Notícias. March 26, 2018, accessed April 8, 2020 (pr).
  79. ↑ Heiner Boberski: Das Engelwerk: Theory and Practice of Opus Angelorum . Otto Müller Verlag, Salzburg 1993, pp. 261-276, 102 f.
  80. ↑ John Schneider: Auerbach's Sex Controversy: Is It Underestimated? In: Abendzeitung , November 9, 2001.
    Martin Zips: God's work and the devil's contribution. Süddeutsche Zeitung , November 6, 2001.
    Realschule Auerbach: Further evidence of Engelwerk proximity and condom distribution campaigns do not allow the school to calm down. In: Radio Mainwelle . November 13, 2001, archived from the original on November 26, 2016 ; accessed on April 8, 2020 .
  81. ↑ a b Heiner Boberski: Of angels, demons and a bishop from St. Pölten. In: derStandard.at . January 16, 2002, accessed April 8, 2020 .
  82. ↑ Hohlmeier asks the Vatican to mediate. In: welt.de . December 7, 2001, accessed April 8, 2020 .
  83. ↑ Barbara Supp: Dispute about sex education: Where the devil dances. In: Spiegel Online. March 19, 2002, accessed April 8, 2020 . Roland Ebert: Auerbach School Sisters: How Fundamentalism can be taught with public funds. In: materials and information currently . January 2003, archived from the original on December 14, 2013 ; accessed on April 8, 2020 .
  84. ↑ Bavarian State Parliament, Committee on Education, Youth and Sport, minutes of the 57th meeting on November 8, 2001, 9:15 am - 12:57 pm
  85. ^ Report of the State Ministry for Education and Culture on the current state of affairs "Realschule des Zweckverband Auerbach" from December 6, 2001, 11:30 am
  86. ^ Committee on the Rights of the Child: Convention on the Rights of the Child: Concluding observations on the second periodic report of the Holy See. (pdf; 107 kB) February 25, 2014, p. 12 , accessed on December 12, 2019 (English).
  87. ↑ Barbara Hans: UN report on children's rights in the church: Catalog of lived double standards. In: Spiegel Online. February 5, 2014, accessed on April 8, 2020 (point 8).
  88. ↑ Wolfgang Beinert (Ed.): "Catholic" Fundamentalism. Heretical Groups in the Church ? (Engelwerk, Opus Dei, Priesterbruderschaft St. Petrus) , Friedrich Pustet, Regensburg 1991, ISBN 3-7917-1286-1 , p. 54 f.
  89. ↑ See Constitutions of the Order of the Cross, Section A 12.2–12.4 and Statute for Donates (X, 10.6). Quoted in Heiner Boberski: Das Engelwerk. Theory and Practice of Opus Angelorum. Otto Müller Verlag, Salzburg 1993. pp. 80 f
  90. ↑ See also the new regulation under St. Petersberg Cross Order: The holy silence, the mystery of the saints. (pdf; 118 kB) In: Rundbrief 2003-4. Opus Sanctorum Angelorum, pp. 1-6 , archived from the original on October 5, 2011 ; accessed on April 8, 2020 : “One should not blurt out every truth; Justice and love must set the tone in our speeches. [...] Church recognition is not given. "
  91. ↑ Heiner Boberski: The angel work. Theory and Practice of Opus Angelorum. Otto Müller Verlag, Salzburg 1993. pp. 256 f
  92. ↑ Heinz Gstrein : Erdoğan in power - night falls in Turkey. In: Tyrolean daily newspaper . June 3, 2016, accessed April 8, 2020 .
  93. ↑ Angels and saints of the day. In: engel-heilige-des-tages.de. Archived from the original on August 6, 2010 ; accessed on April 8, 2020 .
  94. ↑ Claus Peter Clausen: Holy Angel Calendar. In: xn--whle-himmel-oder-hlle-51b54b.de. November 2012, archived from the original on June 30, 2013 ; accessed on April 8, 2020 .
  95. ↑ Kreuzordenskloster St. Petersberg: Text of the consecration of angels. (pdf; 111 kB) In: Rundbrief. 2000-4, archived from the original on March 14, 2012 ; accessed on April 8, 2020 .
  96. ↑ The article referred to the Catechism of the Catholic Church in numbers 328–336 and 350–352.
  97. ↑ Pope brings secret society back to church. In: tz . October 11, 2010, accessed April 8, 2020 . Archdiocese of Munich and Freising: Ordinariate rejects report by "Spiegel". October 11, 2010, archived from the original on May 13, 2014 ; accessed on April 8, 2020 .
  98. ^ Daniel Ols: Letter to the members of the angel work. (No longer available online.) April 7, 2010, formerly in the original ; accessed on April 8, 2020 (English).  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.opusangelorum.org
  99. ↑ New instructions about the angel work. In: Vatican Radio . November 4, 2010, accessed April 8, 2020 .
  100. ↑ Thorsten Stegemann: Back to the Middle Ages. In: Telepolis . October 19, 2010, accessed April 6, 2020 . Paul Badde : Pope takes on Engelwerk to "promote the good". In: Welt.de. October 17, 2010, accessed April 6, 2020 .
  101. ↑ Hermann-Josef Frisch: Not church sheep, but courageous Christians. Patmos, August 26, 2014, ISBN 978-3-8436-0547-2 ( Google Books ).
  102. ↑ Johannes zu Eltz: The devil does not come out of the chimney. He looks like Christ. Magazine of the Philosophical-Theological University of Sankt Georgen 2/2017, page 45
  103. ^ Mathias Petry: Time for changes. In: Schrobenhausener Zeitung . March 2, 2018, accessed April 8, 2020 .
  104. ↑ Heiner Boberski: The angel work. Theory and Practice of Opus Angelorum. Pages 99 and 129-132
  105. ↑ Work of the Holy Angels: Contact and Imprint. Accessed May 31, 2020
  106. ↑ sjm-congregation.org: Call of the King 2/2019: Obituary HH Dr. Ingo Dollinger , p. 35.
  107. ↑ Heiner Boberski: Das Engelwerk: A secret society in the Catholic Church? Otto Müller Verlag, Salzburg 1990, p. 92
  108. ↑ Guardian Angel Brotherhood Innsbruck: Introduction to the meaning and goal of the priestly community. Rituals of the Opus Sanctorum Angelorum, Innsbruck 1970, p. 61.
    Josef Sudbrack : Heiner Boberski, “Das Engelwerk. A secret society in the Catholic Church? ” (Pdf; 12.5 MB) In: Materialdienst der EZW 12/1990. December 1, 1990, p. 363 , accessed April 3, 2020 (book review).
  109. ↑ Heiner Boberski: Das Engelwerk: A secret society in the Catholic Church? Otto Müller Verlag, Salzburg 1990, pp. 233, 253
  110. ↑ Jürgen Pachner: Porn hunter denies gas chambers. In: Courier . December 9, 2010, archived from the original on December 11, 2010 ; accessed on April 8, 2020 . Heiner Boberski: The Engelwerk. Theory and Practice of Opus Angelorum. Otto Müller Verlag, Salzburg 1993, pp. 242, 265
  111. ↑ Thomas Hofer : God's right church. Catholic fundamentalists on the rise . Ueberreuter , Vienna 1998, ISBN 3-8000-3675-4 , p. 214 .
  112. ↑ Heiner Boberski: Mighty - Male - Mysterious. Ecowin Verlag, Salzburg 2005 ( preview in Google Books ).
  113. ↑ Pope brings secret society back to church. In: tz . October 11, 2010, accessed April 8, 2020 .
  114. ↑ Engelwerk: Spiritual Program on Winterberg 2015. PDF in the Internet Archive accessed on December 17, 2019
  115. ↑ Work of the Holy Angels: Events 2019 in Austria, South Tyrol and Switzerland. Accessed April 22, 2020
  116. ↑ Sanitaswerk e. V .: Spiritual program on Winterberg. Accessed April 22, 2020
  117. ^ Auerbach school sisters: exile from P. Heinrich Morscher. In: kath.net. September 19, 2003, archived from the original on September 19, 2003 ; accessed on April 8, 2020 .
  118. ↑ Heiner Boberski: The angel work. Theory and Practice of Opus Angelorum. Otto Müller Verlag, Salzburg 1993, p. 235
  119. ↑ About Us and Our Mission. Opus Angelorum, accessed December 17, 2019 .
  120. ↑ Heiner Boberski: The angel work. Theory and Practice of Opus Angelorum. Pages 93 and 129-131.
  121. ↑ Heiner Boberski: The angel work. Theory and Practice of Opus Angelorum . Otto Müller Verlag, Salzburg 1993, p. 275 f.
  122. ↑ Thomas M. Hofer: God's right church. Catholic fundamentalists on the rise. Ueberreuter Verlag, Vienna 1998, ISBN 3800036754 . P. 137
  123. ^ Josef Sudbrack : Heinz Gstrein, "'Engelwerk' or Teufelsmacht. Background on a gray area of ​​church activities: New salvation or inner church sect ”. (pdf; 12.5 MB) In: EZW Material Service 12/1990. December 1, 1990, pp. 366-367 , accessed April 3, 2020 (book review).