Heinrich Fabricius (auxiliary bishop)

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Coat of arms of the Principality of Speyer
Title page of the Surius Chronicle, edition 1586, with translator information: Heinrich Fabricius, Auxiliary Bishop of Speyer

Heinrich Fabricius (* around 1520 in Aachen ; † 1595 ) was a spiritual writer of the Counter Reformation and auxiliary bishop in Speyer and titular bishop of Daulia .

Live and act

Heinrich Fabricius came from Aachen. He was originally a Carthusian monk in Cologne , but had to leave the strict monastery for health reasons. The convert Laurentius Surius , who in turn knew St. Peter Canisius personally, also lived in the Cologne Charterhouse . Heinrich Fabricius was friends with Surius and apparently came into contact with Canisius through him. He was active as a spiritual writer and translated and published both the writings of Laurentius Surius and Petrus Canisius. In 1576 he published the first German translation of the 3-volume Surius work Kurtze Chronick or description of the foremost Handel so both in religious and secular matters happened almost in the whole world . On the title pages and in the foreword, Fabricius still appears as Carthusian from Aachen in 1576, in a subsequent edition from 1586 as auxiliary bishop of Speyer and he dedicated the work to Duke Albrecht V of Bavaria , an ardent representative of the Counter-Reformation . In the foreword of the 1st volume he writes a. a .:

" ... And because the same Catholic Chronicle has now been printed quite a few times in Latin and has been bought and read with great joy by many, many pious people considered it good, so that the simple man, so inexperienced in the Latin language, would also be helped usefully by it, The same Chronick also in common language to inform the German community that the present confidence it should work the same in German uppercase big good among many people of our dear fatherland's German nation. Because almost a lot of people are asked for it, but nobody can get it in a hurry, if this work wants to be done, I finally also wanted it. And however I want to be the least and most clumsy in this case, nevertheless, so that such a good work is not hindered, I have to praise God and the whole community of the Teutscher Nation for good, as much as I was able to do, through the help and grace of Almighty God end brought. Since I was now looking for a patronage for this work of mine, according to the old tradition, I have chosen your Princely Grace to do so, since Your Princely Grace is a special maintainer, handler and champion of the old true Catholic and Apostolic religion. ... "

- Laurentius Surius: "Kurtze Chronick or description of the foremost Handel as both in religious and secular matters happened almost all over the world", first German translation by Heinrich Fabricius, Cologne 1576

In 1570 Fabricius also published the translation of the great catechism of Petrus Canisius.

Under the Speyer prince-bishop Marquard von Hattstein , Fabricius was appointed auxiliary bishop there in 1574, as the successor to the late Matthias Ob ; at the same time he officiated as canon (sext prabender) and pastor (cross altar) at Speyer Cathedral . The documents regarding the office as auxiliary bishop went to Rome on December 17, 1574 for confirmation. Hattstein himself was rather colorless from a religious point of view, but his well-known cathedral dean Andreas von Oberstein set in motion a lively reform activity in the spirit of the Council of Trent , which was supported by the new Prince-Bishop Eberhard von Dienheim from 1581. Heinrich Fabricius, a well-known religious journalist, probably came to Speyer as a result of Andreas Oberstein's reform work, which had spread throughout Germany; Oberstein was also one of the circle of acquaintances of St. Peter Canisius.

In 1583 he published a one-volume summary of the six-volume hagiography "De probatis vitis Sanctorum ab Al. Lippomano olim [1551–1560] conscriptis nunc primum emendatis et auctis" (Cologne 1570–1576) by Laurentius Surius , with a calendar of saints for spiritual use . The work saw numerous editions well into the 17th century. He dedicated the work to Prince Bishop Eberhard von Speyer. The 1592 edition has a woodcut with the coat of arms of Eberhard von Speyer on the back of the title.

Prince-Bishop Eberhard von Dienheim had not yet received episcopal ordination due to the turbulent times, although he had been in office for a long time. On January 1, 1584, he received this consecration retrospectively in the Udenheim Palace Chapel (= later Philippsburg ), by the auxiliary bishop in Mainz with the assistance of co- consecrators Heinrich Fabricius from Speyer and the auxiliary bishop in Trier.

For the diocese of Speyer, Heinrich Fabricius achieved special importance through the preparation of the hymn book Old Catholische Geistliche Kirchengeseng for the most important festivals . Although he did not live to see the publication of the work in 1599, he did the essential preparatory work for the collection and selection of the content. Among the chants that Fabricius has collected is the first sheet music for the German Christmas carol " Es ist ein Ros sprung " ( Es ist ein Ros sprung ). Because of its historical significance, this hymnal was reissued in 2003 as a facsimile.

In 1580 Heinrich Fabricius wanted to visit the Holy Land "for a better understanding of the Holy Scriptures" , but only came as far as Rome with his companion, Canon Nikolaus Breunig . In 1582 Fabricius seems to have been ailing, because in May of this year he surprisingly resigned his post as Speyer cathedral preacher and in 1583 went to the cure at the Sauerbrunnen in Bad Schwalbach . In 1584 he reappeared as a preacher in the cross choir of the cathedral.

Works (selection)

  • Kurtze Chronick or description of the foremost Handel as both in religious and secular matters happened almost in the whole world , Volume 1, Cologne 1576 ( digitized ) with foreword and dedication by Heinrich Fabricius
  • Kurtze Chronick or description of the foremost Handel as both in religious and secular matters happened almost all over the world , Volume 2, Cologne 1576 ( digitized )
  • Excerpt of valued histories of the most venerable saints of God through the twelve months of the whole year / except for the six Tomis Lord Laurentii Surii Carthusiani blessed / drawn / and brought into a book to erbawung Christian devotion and godliness ..., Cologne 1583
  • Kurtzer Catholic Catechism: like the Holy Rome. and Apostolisch Kyrch, from the beginning bit therefore used at all times , Cologne, 1570. ( digitized version )

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Stefan Benz: Between Tradition and Criticism ( Google Books )
  2. ↑ See Franz Heinrich Reusch:  Surius, Laurentius . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 37, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1894, p. 166.
  3. ↑ Claudia M. Riehl: Continuity and Change of Narrative Structures , 1993, p. 208 ( Google Books )
  4. ↑ Claudia M. Riehl: Continuity and Change of Narrative Structures , 1993, p. 208 ( Google Books )
  5. ↑ Ludwig Pastor: History of the Popes since the end of the Middle Ages . Freiburg, 1958, p. 507 ( Google Books )
  6. ^ Franz Xaver Remling: History of the Bishops of Speyer , Volume 2, Mainz 1854, p. 405 ( Google Books )
  7. ↑ Trier Theological Journal, Volume 95 ( Google Books )
  8. ↑ Hansjakob Becker, Ansgar Franz, Jürgen Henkys (eds.): Geistliches Wunderhorn: Great German church songs . Beck, Munich 2009, p. 137 ( Google Books )
  9. ↑ Website on the Speyer hymn book with mention of Heinrich Fabricius ( memento from January 26, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
  10. ^ Franz Xaver Remling: History of the Bishops of Speyer , Volume 2 ( Google Books )
personal data
SURNAME Fabricius, Heinrich
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German spiritual writer, auxiliary bishop in Speyer
DATE OF BIRTH around 1520
PLACE OF BIRTH Aachen
DATE OF DEATH 1595