Rolf Thomas (priest)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rolf Thomas (born November 29, 1934 in Burtscheid ; † March 4, 2016 in Munich ) was a German Roman Catholic priest and pastor . He was one of the first five German members of Opus Dei and for decades worked closely in Rome with the founder of Opus Dei, Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer , and with his successors.

Life

Rolf Thomas was born in Aachen -Burtscheid in 1934 . His father was commercial director at the United Glass Works (St. Gobain) in the Herzogenrath plant . He completed school education in Aachen (1940–43), Eupen (1943–49) and Herzogenrath (1949–54) in 1954 with the Abitur . In 1946 he sang in the first voice in the boys' choir of the Collège Patronné in Eupen, which was newly founded after the war . In 1948 he joined the choir as the first independent concert piano - soloist on. He completed his piano training in Eupen (with Willy Mommer 1944–47), Verviers (1947–48) and in Aachen (with Heinrich Nelting 1949–54) and from 1952 to 1956 played several public piano recitals.

In October 1954 he began to study classical philology (Greek and Latin; for teaching) and Catholic theology at the University of Bonn . In the winter semester of 1956/57 he switched to the University of Munich for an academic year to hear well-known professors in his three subjects, including Romano Guardini . In the winter semester of 1957/58 he returned to the University of Bonn, where he completed his studies with the state examination.

In 1954/55 he became a member of the KDSt.V. Novesia Bonn included in the CV and was active in the Academic St. Vincent Conference (AVK), of which he was director in the academic year 1957/58.

In November 1957 he came into contact with members of Opus Dei in the Althaus student residence in Bonn, which he joined on June 8, 1958 as one of the first Germans. There he met Josemaría Escrivá for the first time personally in 1959.

In 1963 he moved to Rome to continue to his theological studies, and was 1966 in Segovia to ordained priests . On 26 June 1967 he was in Rome at the Faculty of Theology of the Pontifical Lateran University with a thesis on Origen ( te Nisi cognoveris ...: observationes in Origenis de cognitione sui doctrinam ) in theology doctorate .

Shortly after his ordination he was called by Escrivá to the General Council of Opus Dei, where he was responsible for the philosophical and theological studies of the believers in Opus Dei from 1966 to 1992 as prefect of studies. He was involved in the founding of numerous educational institutions of Opus Dei around the world, including the Pontifical University of Santa Croce in Rome, where he lectured as professor, then visiting professor until 2001, on the person and theology of the origins and St. Irenaeus of Lyon .

He was an important witness in the canonization process for Josemaría Escrivá. He was made a prelate by Pope John Paul II in 1992.

In 2001 Thomas returned to Germany and worked in Munich, Augsburg (from 2004), Stuttgart and Memmingen as a confessor and spiritual guide. The day before his death he heard confession in the Heilig-Geist-Kirche in Munich .

In 2010 he published a short biography of Escrivá, in which he also refers to his visits to Germany and the encounters with Cardinal Joseph Frings .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Pueri Cantores Festschrift , Collège Patronné Eupen, 1957
  2. ^ Rolf Thomas: Encounter Josemaría Escrivá. Sankt Ulrich Verlag , Augsburg 2010, pp. 22-23
  3. ↑ Follow the great king. The Ulrichsbistum , July 2008, No. 27, p. 13
  4. ↑ Every soul is worth the whole blood of Christ! Interview with the Opus Dei priest Dr. Rolf Thomas. PUR magazine, No. 10/2008, pp. 16-19
  5. ↑ Rodulfus Thomas: Nisi cognoveris te ...: Observationes in Origenis de cognitione sui doctrinam. Pontificia Università Lateranense, Romae 1993 , catalog of the PUG library; accessed July 16, 2020
  6. ↑ È deceduto il prof. Dr. Rolf Thomas , Pontificia Università della Santa Croce, March 8, 2016; accessed July 10, 2020
  7. ↑ Prelate Dr. Rolf Thomas died , Opus Dei homepage, March 7, 2016; accessed July 14, 2020
  8. ^ Nomine pontificie di membri della Prelatura , Romana - Bollettino della Prelatura della Santa Croce e Opus Dei, No. 15, July-December 1992, p. 285; accessed July 10, 2020
  9. ↑ A faithful priest - he was kind and available , Opus Dei homepage, March 15, 2016; accessed July 14, 2020
  10. ↑ Prelate Dr. Rolf Thomas passed away , Diocese of Augsburg, March 7, 2016; accessed July 15, 2020
  11. ^ Ludwig Gschwind : Obituary - Prelate Rolf Thomas . The Ulrich bishopric, 2nd / 3rd April 2016, No. 13, p. 14
  12. ↑ Erich Läufer : Encounter Josemaria Escrivá . Church newspaper Cologne 2010 (25), June 25, p. 16
personal data
SURNAME Thomas, Rolf
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German Roman Catholic clergyman and Opus Dei member
DATE OF BIRTH November 29, 1934
PLACE OF BIRTH Burtscheid
DATE OF DEATH 4th March 2016
Place of death Munich