Philipp von Pfeiffer

Philipp von Pfeiffer around 1870

Philipp von Pfeiffer as cathedral capital, around 1890

Philipp Pfeiffer , from 1906 Knight von Pfeiffer (born January 19, 1830 in Rheinzabern , † November 5, 1908 in Speyer ), was a Catholic priest , cathedral capitular and vicar general of the Diocese of Speyer . He was knighted as a Knight of the Order of Merit of the Bavarian Crown , held the offices of cathedral dean and provost, and headed the diocese of Speyer as capitular vicar during the period of vacancy in 1905 .

Origin and career

Philipp Pfeiffer was born in Rheinzabern and attended grammar school in Speyer. After studying theology in Munich, he was ordained a priest on August 20, 1852 by Bishop Nikolaus von Weis . On August 30th of the same year he was employed as a chaplain in Winnweiler , on September 22nd, 1854, he came to Börrstadt as an administrator , and on December 11th, 1855 he advanced to the sub-rain of the seminary (clerical seminary ). Pfeiffer left the seminar after 4 years and became pastor in Dahn on September 12, 1859 , pastor in Neustadt an der Weinstrasse on March 12, 1863 , as the immediate successor of Pastor Bernhard Magel , who had died there just a few days earlier , Pfeiffer's former pastor in Rheinzabern and presumably baptized him. On July 1, 1868, Philipp Pfeiffer changed to Dirmstein as pastor . From 1884 to 1887 he also served as dean of the Frankenthal regional chapter . The obituary reports about this time in various parishes that Pfeiffer had worked with great blessing as a diligent, conscientious and highly valued pastor for 31 years before his move to the diocese leadership - in addition to 4 years as sub- rain. "

In the diocese leadership

Prince Regent Luitpold appointed the priest on September 1, 1887 as cathedral capitular and cathedral dean in Speyer. Bishop Georg von Ehrler also appointed him vicar general in 1888 , in which position he remained until the bishop's death in 1905. On April 27, 1895 Pope Leo XIII appointed him . to the Provost of Speyer. Pfeiffer was also the theological advisor to his bishop, director of the clergy and for a period of about 20 years also chairman of the diocesan orphanage. After the death of Bishop Joseph Georg von Ehrler , Philipp Pfeiffer was elected capitular vicar on March 20, 1905 and headed the Diocese of Speyer during the vacancy period until the new Bishop Konrad von Busch took office on July 16.

For the last 3 years of his life, Philipp Pfeiffer was " afflicted by severe physical ailments which were also accompanied by the complaints of old age", as the obituary states. Because of the illness, he was often confined to bed. The day before his death, he still said mass and attended the service for the deceased clergy in the cathedral . Even though he was ill, Pfeiffer died unexpectedly quickly, on November 5, 1908, at about 3 o'clock in the morning; he was buried on November 7th.

Special

On December 31, 1889, the dean of the cathedral, Philipp Pfeiffer, donated all of his saved fortune of 14,968 gold marks to the church for the establishment of the parish of St. Joseph in Rheingönheim . Without this donation, the urgently needed establishment of this pastoral care center would not have been possible in the foreseeable future.

On August 20, 1902, the cathedral chapter celebrated his 50th anniversary of ordination. On this occasion, Prince Regent Luitpold awarded him the Bavarian Order of Ludwig , which was presented to him on August 30th - the anniversary of his first job - in a ceremony by the royal government director of Andrian-Werburg in the meeting room of the episcopal ordinariate. In view of his many services, in particular the endowment of the Rheingönheim parish, Philipp Pfeiffer was decorated in 1906 with the highest Bavarian civil honor, the Order of Merit of the Bavarian Crown, which automatically connected the personal nobility. From then on, Philipp Pfeiffer called himself: "Philipp von Pfeiffer" or "Philipp Ritter von Pfeiffer". In addition, Pfeiffer was royal clergyman as well as Knight III. Class of the Order of Merit of St. Michael and holder of the Papal Cross of Honor " Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice ".

The Oberhirtliche Verordnungsblatt Speyer, No. 22, of November 15, 1908, dedicated an honorable obituary to Philipp von Pfeiffer. A photo of him hangs in the sacristy of his former parish in Dirmstein.

literature

• Schematism of the diocese of Speyer. 1903, ZDB -ID 219609-8 , p. 258 (report on the golden jubilee of priests and awarding of the Order of Ludwig).
• Obituary . In: Oberhirtliches Ordinance Sheet for the Diocese of Speyer. No. 22, of November 15, 1908, ZDB -ID 219632-3 .
• Guido Nonn: The canons since the re-establishment of the Speyer diocese in 1817. Archives of the Speyer diocese, Speyer 1981, p. 38 ( writings of the Speyer diocesan archive 5, ZDB -ID 557528-x ).

Web links

• PDF file about the history of the parish of St. Joseph, Rheingönheim - about Philipp von Pfeiffer, page 6