Franciscus Kenninck

Franciscus Kenninck (born June 18, 1859 in Den Helder ; † February 10, 1937 in Utrecht ) was the twelfth old Catholic Archbishop of Utrecht from 1920 to 1937 .

Life

Childhood and youth

Kenninck's family came from Bruges on his father's side . He went through the old Latin school in Amersfoort , which at that time was largely attended by the humanists of the old Catholic seminary. The total number of students at this school seldom exceeded 25 to 30, so Kenninck was the only student in his class for a year. He was very talented in the classical languages, which would be formative for his later work as theological teacher.

First activities

In 1886, before his ordination on June 24, 1888, he was appointed Professor of Exegesis and Introductory Science. In 1898 he was pastor in Amersfoort while retaining his professorship until 1910, when he returned to the seminary as president and professor of dogmatics . Since 1909 it was canon of the metropolitan chapter of Utrecht. After he was elected Bishop of Haarlem on July 2, 1912 as the successor to Jacobus Johannes van Thiel , he declined the election with thanks, mainly because after his brief tenure as president of the seminary he did not feel entitled to this function again to give up.

Episcopate

After the death of Archbishop Gerardus Gul , Kenninck was elected as his successor on March 8, 1920 and on April 28 he received the episcopal ordination by Henricus Theodorus Johannes van Vlijmen , Cornelius Diependaal and Georg Moog . He held this office, which he assumed at the age of 60, until his death in 1937.

During his 17-year term in office, he developed a diverse activity under his episcopal motto Gratia Dei Mecum (God's grace be upon me). During his tenure, the compulsory celibacy for priests was lifted, a consultative synod was set up and fundamental innovations in the areas of liturgy , catechesis and church music took place. Following his interests, he became involved as a pioneer of the growing ecumenical movement and laid the foundation for full communion with the Anglican Church as well as for dialogue with the Orthodox Churches.

literature

• Andreas Rinkel: Kenninck, Franciscus (1859-1937). In Biografisch Woordenboek van Nederland 1. Den Haag 1979, online edition .
• Dick J. Schoon : Van bisschoppelijke Cleresie dead Oud-Katholieke Kerk. Bijdrage tot de geschiedenis van het katholicisme in Nederland in de 19de eeuw. Valkhof Pers, Nijmegen 2004, ISBN 90-5625-165-1 , p. 768f.

predecessor	Office	successor
Gerardus Gul	Old Catholic Archbishop of Utrecht 1920–1937	Andreas Rinkel