Karl Josef Becker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids His Eminence Karl Josef Becker S.J. |
|
|---|---|
| Cardinal-Deacon of San Giuliano Martire | |
| Appointed | 18 February 2012 |
| Enthroned | 22 April 2012 |
| Reign ended | 10 February 2015 |
| Predecessor | None |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 31 July 1958 |
| Created Cardinal | 18 February 2012 |
| Rank | Cardinal-Deacon |
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Karl Josef Becker |
| Born | 18 April 1928 Cologne, Germany |
| Died | 10 February 2015 (aged 86) Rome, Italy |
| Nationality | German |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Coat of arms |  |
Karl Josef Becker S.J. (born April 18, 1928, died February 10, 2015) was an important German Catholic priest. He was a theologian, which means he studied and taught about religious beliefs. He also worked as an advisor for a special office in the Vatican called the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. He taught at a famous university in Rome, Italy.
Life and Studies
Karl Josef Becker joined the Society of Jesus (a group of Catholic priests and brothers also known as the Jesuits) on April 13, 1948. Before that, he studied classical languages like Latin and Greek.
After joining the Jesuits, he spent time in a special training period called a novitiate in Cologne, Germany. From 1950 to 1953, he studied philosophy in Munich.
Later, from 1955 to 1959, he studied theology in Frankfurt am Main. He earned his doctorate degree in theology in 1963. His main research was about the teachings of a theologian named Domingo de Soto.
Working in the Vatican
Father Becker was highly respected by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who later became Pope Benedict XVI. Many people who had questions or problems with their theological ideas were told to talk to Father Becker.
He was known for helping to investigate different theological ideas. For example, he was involved in looking into the work of another Jesuit priest, Father Jacques Dupuis, who wrote about how different religions relate to each other.
Becker also wrote about important Catholic teachings, especially about a phrase called "subsistit in" from a key Church document called Lumen gentium. In 2009, he took part in important discussions between the Holy See (the Pope's government) and another Catholic group called the Society of St. Pius X.
Becoming a Cardinal
On February 18, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI made Karl Josef Becker a cardinal. Cardinals are very high-ranking officials in the Catholic Church.
Because of his age, Cardinal Becker asked for and received special permission not to become a bishop. Usually, cardinals are also bishops, but this rule can be waived. He served as a Cardinal-Deacon for the church of San Giuliano Martire in Rome.
