Reinhard Lettmann

Reinhard Lettmann at a lecture in 2008

Reinhard Lettmann (born March 9, 1933 in Datteln , Westphalia ; † April 16, 2013 in Bethlehem , West Bank ) was a German clergyman and from 1980 to 2008 Roman Catholic bishop of the diocese of Münster . He was the 75th bishop of this diocese and when he resigned in 2008, he was the longest-serving diocesan bishop in Germany.

Life

Lettmann was the son of a carpenter who worked at the Emscher-Lippe colliery in Datteln. Reinhard Lettman received after his philosophy - and theology studies at the Westphalian Wilhelms University in Muenster and at the theological universities in Freiburg and Innsbruck on 21 February 1959 in Münster by Bishop Michael Keller , the ordination . He then worked as a chaplain in St. Stephanus in Beckum .

From 1960 to 1963 he studied at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome , where he was in church law for Dr. jur. can. PhD . In 1963 he became the episcopal secretary and chaplain in Münster. He worked as a stenographer in the minutes of the negotiations of the Second Vatican Council .

In 1965 he became a prosynodal judge and in 1966 Defensor Vinculi at the diocesan court in Münster as well as Joseph Höffner's private secretary . In 1967, Bishop Joseph Höffner appointed him vicar general of the diocese of Münster and in 1967 as the resident cathedral capitular at St. Paulus Cathedral in Münster.

Auxiliary bishop

On January 18, 1973, Pope Paul VI appointed him . as titular bishop of Rotaria and auxiliary bishop in Münster. He received his episcopal ordination on February 24, 1973, the Bishop of Münster Heinrich Tenhumberg . Co-consecrators were the auxiliary bishops of Münster Heinrich Baaken and Laurenz Böggering . His episcopal motto was Christo tuo venienti occurrentes - "(We are) those who come to meet your coming Christ".

As auxiliary bishop, he assumed the role of regional bishop for the Münster and Warendorf region .

Diocesan bishop

Bishop Reinhard Lettmann on a pilgrimage with soldiers of the Panzergrenadierbataillon 192 by his Bischöflich Münstersches officialate (1989)

On January 11, 1980, Pope John Paul II appointed him Bishop of Münster. The solemn assumption of office took place on March 16 of the same year. Reinhard Lettmann was a member of the Ecumenical Commission of the German Bishops' Conference . In Rome he was a member of the Papal Congregation for Divine Worship and the Order of the Sacraments .

When he resigned, which came into effect on March 28, 2008, Reinhard Lettmann was the longest-serving diocesan bishop in Germany. He had Pope Benedict XVI. in February 2008 his resignation according to can. 401 § 1 CIC offered on the occasion of reaching the age of 75. Lettmann was officially retired from office on March 8th and 9th, 2008 with various celebrations. On December 19, 2008, Benedict XVI appointed the previous Bishop of Essen, Felix Genn , to be Lettmann's successor as Bishop of Munster.

emeritus

Grave of Bishop Reinhard Lettmann in Münster Cathedral

On March 1st, 2009 Reinhard Lettmann celebrated his golden jubilee as a priest in the St. Paulus Cathedral in Münster. He celebrated the 40th anniversary of the bishop on February 24, 2013 in the renovated St. Paulus Cathedral.

He died on April 16, 2013 during a pilgrimage in front of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Three days later he was honored with a requiem in the Jerusalem Dormition Abbey . The funeral ceremony took place on April 26th in Münster Cathedral; he got his grave in the bishop's vault in the west choir.

criticism

At the end of 2018 it became publicly known that at the beginning of the 1970s, Lettmann, as vicar general at the time, had transferred chaplain Pottbäcker several times after repeated attacks within the diocese - who had already been convicted of child abuse. As a result, the so-called Reinhard-Lettmann-Haus in Datteln was renamed in June 2019 by resolution of the church council after a unanimous vote of the parish council.

honors and awards

• 1991 Honorary doctorate in theology, awarded by the Catholic Theological Faculty of the Westphalian Wilhelms University in Münster
• 2006 Honorary doctorate from the Catholic Theological Faculty of the University of Bucharest
• 2008 Honorary doctorate from the University of Vechta
• 2008 Grand Cross pro piis meritis of the Order of Merit Pro Merito Melitensi of the Sovereign Order of Malta

Fonts (selection)

• The discussion about clandestine marriages and the introduction of a form of marriage that is mandatory for validity at the Council of Trent , Münsterische contributions to theology, volume 31, dissertation, Münster 1967.
• Lifelike prayer. Thoughts on Our Talking to God , Kevelaer 1979, ISBN 3-7666-9078-7 .
• Borne by the faith of the community. Thoughts and suggestions on pastoral service , Kevelaer 1980, ISBN 3-7666-9111-2 .
• Windows in the walls of everyday life. Suggestions for our daily prayers , Kevelaer 1981, ISBN 3-7666-9169-4 (together with Alfons Nossol).
• Mary - mother of believers. Meditations , Kevelaer 1982, ISBN 3-7666-9251-8 .
• Being a Christian through insight and decision. Christ Meditations , Kevelaer 1984, ISBN 3-7666-9338-7 .
• Departure from the encounter. Thoughts on a basic attitude towards Christian life , Kevelaer 1988, ISBN 3-7666-9555-X .
• Do what he tells you. With Maria in the service of redemption , Kevelaer 1988, ISBN 3-7666-9607-6 .
• We need staying power. Contributions to the current situation of church and society , Kevelaer 1989, ISBN 3-7666-9662-9 .
• Peace - the challenge of our day. Sermons and food for thought , Kevelaer 1991, ISBN 3-7666-9745-5 .
• I want to sing and play for you. As a Christian on the way , Kevelaer 1992, ISBN 3-7666-9767-6 .
• The fifth angel. About joy in God and his creation , Kevelaer 1993, ISBN 3-7666-9788-9 .
• And faith carries the light. On the mission and order of the Christians , Kevelaer 1995, ISBN 3-7666-9926-1 .
• On the verge of mystery. Man and his experience of God , Kevelaer 1996, ISBN 3-7666-9998-9 .
• For the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Thoughts on priestly celibacy , Leutesdorf 1996, ISBN 3-7794-1383-3 .
• The little feather. Carried by God's spirit. Thoughts and Meditations , Kevelaer 1999, ISBN 3-7666-0187-3 .
• Time of grace. Thoughts at the turn of the millennium , Kevelaer 2000, ISBN 3-7666-0272-1 .
• Nard oil and empty hands. Texts for reflection - invitation to praise God , Kevelaer 2001, ISBN 3-7666-0356-6 .
• The invisible hand. Impulses for prayer, meditation and preaching , Kevelaer 2002, ISBN 3-7666-0407-4 .
• The luminous secret. Nach-Gedachtes , Kevelaer 2004, ISBN 3-7666-0531-3 .
• Drummers of the Resurrection. Encouragement to Believe , Kevelaer 2005, ISBN 3-7666-0644-1 .
• On holy fire. Suggestions for the spiritual roots of pastoral work , Kevelaer 2005, ISBN 3-7666-0697-2 .
• Horsemen at dawn. Courage for the future , Kevelaer 2007, ISBN 978-3-7666-0809-3 or ISBN 3-7666-0809-6 .
• Breathe in the Eternal. Thoughts for everyday life , Kevelaer 2008, ISBN 978-3-7666-0863-5 .
• Meeting Jesus in the Holy Land , Münster 2008, ISBN 978-3-937961-80-4 or ISBN 3-937961-80-1 .

literature

• Norbert Kleyboldt (Ed.): Unmistakable - Bishop Reinhard Lettmann . Dialogverlag, Münster 2005, ISBN 3-937961-09-7 .
• Norbert Kleyboldt (Ed.): Completely related to Christ. Reinhard Lettmann, Bishop of Münster (1980 - 2008) , Münster 2014, ISBN 978-3-941462-92-2 .

Web links

Commons : Reinhard Lettmann  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Literature by and about Reinhard Lettmann in the catalog of the German National Library
• Entry on Reinhard Lettmann on catholic-hierarchy.org ; Retrieved April 16, 2013.
• Portrait of Dr. Reinhard Lettmann (Diocese of Münster)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Johannes Loy: Obituary for Bishop Reinhard Lettmann ( memento from June 25, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) in the online edition of the Münsterländische Volkszeitung from April 16, 2013, accessed on April 17, 2013.
2. ↑ Detlef Peitz: “Ne fiant plausus!” On the minutes of the Second Vatican Council 1962–1965. (No longer available online.) Association of Parliamentary and Negotiating Stenographers, September 4, 2012, archived from the original on January 2, 2017 ; Retrieved November 1, 2012 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
3. ^ Regina Thiess: Bishop Lettmann resigns from office. In: Library of the WDR . February 26, 2008, accessed April 17, 2013 . 
4. ^ Lettmann, Von Twickel and Averkamp 40 years of bishops. In: kirchensite.de. February 23, 2013. Retrieved February 23, 2013 . 
5. ↑ Holy Land: Farewell to Bishop Lettmann. Interview with B. Nicodemos. In: domradio.de. April 19, 2013. Retrieved April 19, 2013 . 
6. ↑ Reinhard Lettmann is dead. In: kirchensite.de. April 16, 2013, accessed April 16, 2013 . 
7. ↑ Jens Joest: Reinhard Lettmann House in Datteln is renamed. In: Church + Life Network. June 28, 2019. Retrieved July 29, 2019 . 

predecessor	Office	successor
Heinrich Tenhumberg	Bishop of Münster 1980–2008	Felix Genn
Laurenz Böggering	Vicar General of the Diocese of Münster 1967–1973	Hermann Josef Hospital