Joachim Meisner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids His Eminence Joachim Meisner |
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| Cardinal, Archbishop Emeritus of Cologne | |
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Meisner in 2014
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| Church | Cologne Cathedral |
| Archdiocese | Cologne |
| Province | Cologne |
| Metropolis | Cologne |
| See | Cologne |
| Appointed | 20 December 1988 |
| Enthroned | 12 February 1989 |
| Reign ended | 28 February 2014 |
| Predecessor | Joseph Höffner |
| Successor | Rainer Woelki |
| Other posts | Cardinal-Priest of Santa Pudenziana (1983–2017) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 22 December 1962 |
| Consecration | 17 May 1975 by Hugo Aufderbeck |
| Created Cardinal | 2 February 1983 |
| Rank | Cardinal-Priest |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 25 December 1933 Breslau, Prussia, German Reich (now Wrocław, Poland) |
| Died | 5 July 2017 (aged 83) Bad Füssing, Bavaria, Germany |
| Nationality | German |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
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| Styles of Joachim Meisner |
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| Reference style | His Eminence |
| Spoken style | Your Eminence |
| Informal style | Cardinal |
| See | Cologne |
Joachim Meisner (born December 25, 1933 – died July 5, 2017) was a German Cardinal in the Catholic Church. He served as the Archbishop of Cologne from 1989 until he retired in 2014. Before that, he was the Bishop of Berlin from 1980 to 1989. He became a Cardinal in 1983. Many people saw him as a leading traditional voice in the German Catholic Church.
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Becoming a Priest
Joachim Meisner was born in a city called Breslau, which is now Wrocław in Poland. He studied to become a priest in East Germany. In 1962, he became a deacon, which is the first step to becoming a priest. Later that year, on December 22, 1962, he was ordained as a priest.
From 1963 to 1975, Meisner worked as a chaplain in different parishes. A chaplain is a priest who serves a specific community. During this time, he also studied in Rome and earned a special degree in theology in 1969.
Serving as a Bishop
In 1975, Meisner became an auxiliary bishop. This means he helped the main bishop in a region. He also became good friends with Pope John Paul II. In 1980, Pope John Paul II appointed Meisner as the Bishop of Berlin. Then, in 1983, he was made a Cardinal. Cardinals are high-ranking officials in the Catholic Church, usually chosen by the Pope.
In 1988, Meisner became the Archbishop of Cologne. He held this important position until he retired. He was one of the Cardinals who voted in the 2005 papal conclave. This was the special meeting where Cardinals chose Pope Benedict XVI as the new Pope.
Archbishop Meisner was also in charge when World Youth Day 2005 took place in Cologne. This big event in August 2005 brought together over a million young people.
In 2013, Cardinal Meisner also took part in the 2013 papal conclave. This was the meeting where Pope Francis was elected. When Pope Francis became Pope, Cardinal Meisner was one of six Cardinals who publicly showed their respect and obedience to the new Pope.
On December 25, 2013, Cardinal Meisner turned 80 years old. After this age, Cardinals can no longer vote in future papal elections. He then offered his resignation, and Pope Francis accepted it on February 28, 2014. A new Archbishop, Rainer Woelki, was appointed later that year.
Cardinal Meisner passed away on July 5, 2017, while on vacation in Germany.
His Beliefs and Views
Cardinal Meisner was known for strongly supporting the Pope and the teachings of the Catholic Church. He had a very close friendship with Pope John Paul II. He was also a long-time friend of Joseph Ratzinger, who later became Pope Benedict XVI.
He once said that Pope Benedict "has the intelligence of 12 professors and is as pious as a child." This showed his great respect for Benedict.
Art and Faith
Cardinal Meisner believed that art and culture should be connected to the worship of God. In 2007, he spoke at the opening of a new art museum in his archdiocese. He mentioned that if culture is separated from faith, both can lose their meaning.
He was thought to be talking about a new stained-glass window in Cologne Cathedral. He did not approve of this modern window by artist Gerhard Richter.
Later Discussions
In 2016, Pope Francis wrote a document called Amoris laetitia. This document discussed family life and marriage. Cardinal Meisner and three other Cardinals had some questions about parts of it. They sent a letter to Pope Francis in 2016 asking for clearer answers on certain points of Church teaching. They wanted to make sure everyone understood the teachings correctly.
Even though Cardinal Meisner had questions about some of Pope Francis's ideas, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI wrote a letter praising Cardinal Meisner.
Published Works
- Die Fürstin und der Kardinal: Ein Gespräch über Glauben und Tradition (The Princess and the Cardinal: A Conversation about Faith and Tradition), with Princess Gloria of Thurn and Taxis (2008)
See also
In Spanish: Joachim Meisner para niños
