Roman Catholic Diocese of Passau facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Diocese of Passau Diœcesis Passaviensis Bistum Passau
St. Stephan's Cathedral, Passau
Coat of arms
Location
Country	Germany
Ecclesiastical province	Munich and Freising
Statistics
Area	5,442 km2 (2,101 sq mi)
Population - Total - Catholics	(as of 2021) 630,353 466,750 (74.0%)
Parishes	285
Information
Denomination	Catholic
Sui iuris church	Latin Church
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	737
Cathedral	St. Stephan's Cathedral
Patron saint	St. Conrad of Parzham St. Maximilian of Celeia St. Valentine
Secular priests	275 (diocesan) 65 (Religious Orders) 46 Permanent Deacons
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Bishop	Stefan Oster
Metropolitan Archbishop	Reinhard Marx
Map

Prince-Bishopric of Passau Fürstbistum Passau
999–1805
Coat of arms
Status	Prince-Bishopric
Capital	Passau
Government	Prince-Bishopric
Historical era	Early modern period
• Gained Reichsfreiheit     from Otto III	999
• Bernhardine Charter     grants burghers     municipal freedoms	1299
• Peace of Passau    during Reformation	1552
• Secularised to Bavaria	1805
Preceded by Succeeded by Duchy of Swabia Kingdom of Bavaria

The Diocese of Passau is a special area of the Catholic Church in Germany. It is led by a bishop and is part of a larger church region called the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising. For many centuries, the Diocese of Passau was also a "Prince-Bishopric." This meant its bishop was not only a church leader but also a ruler of a small state, like a prince. This special status ended in 1803. Today, the diocese covers about 5,442 square kilometers.

History of the Passau Diocese

Early Christian Roots: Lorch

The Diocese of Passau can trace its beginnings back to an ancient Christian community in Lorch. Lorch was a Roman town located where the Enns and Danube rivers meet. Christianity started there in the 200s AD. We know there was a bishop in Lorch in the 300s. However, during a time of big migrations, Christianity in this area almost disappeared.

Founding the Diocese of Passau

In the 600s, people called the Baiuvarii, who lived between the Lech and Enns rivers, became Christian. In 739, a very important church leader named St. Boniface helped organize the church in Bavaria. He set up four main church areas, or dioceses: Freising, Ratisbon, Passau, and Salzburg.

He confirmed Vivilo as the first bishop of Passau. Bishop Vivilo lived in Passau, which was once a Roman settlement called Batavis. There was already a church there dedicated to St. Stephen. With the help of Duke Odilo, a new cathedral was built near this church.

Passau's Church Connections

In 798, the church region of Bavaria was officially created. Pope Leo III made Salzburg the main archdiocese, and Passau became one of its important smaller dioceses. Passau remained connected to Salzburg until 1728. After that, it reported directly to the Pope until 1817. Since 1826, it has been part of the Munich-Freising archdiocese.

Diocese Boundaries and Growth

The Passau diocese stretched west to the Isar River and east to the Enns River. Early dukes like Odilo and Tassilo gave many gifts to the bishopric. Several monasteries, like Niederaltaich and Kremsmünster, were built and became very rich. After the Avars were defeated, the diocese grew even larger, reaching into parts of what is now Hungary.

Challenges with Moravia

In the 800s, there were some disagreements about who had authority over church matters in areas like Moravia. Some documents from this time, claiming Passau had special high-ranking status, were later found to be fake.

Pope John VIII had to step in when some German bishops tried to remove Bishop Methodius, a missionary to the Slavs. Bishop Ermericus of Passau even imprisoned Methodius. The Pope suspended Ermericus for this action.

Hungarian Invasions

Starting in 899, the Magyars (Hungarians) began raiding into Bavaria. Passau, being on the eastern edge of Germany, suffered a lot. Many churches and monasteries were destroyed. The canons (priests who served the cathedral) of Passau lost a great deal. Despite these attacks, the church continued its work.

After a big victory at the Battle of Lechfeld, the Germans pushed back. Bishop Adalbert (946-971) hoped to expand the church's influence into Hungary.

Bishop Pilgrim's Efforts

Bishop Piligrim (971-991) worked hard to spread Christianity in Pannonia (part of modern-day Hungary). He tried to make Passau independent from Salzburg and even claim it was a very important archdiocese, but he didn't succeed. He built and restored many churches and monasteries, which helped the bishops gain more power later on.

Bishops as Princes of the Empire

The Prince-Bishopric of Passau, around 1760. It was much smaller than the church diocese of the same name.

In 999, Bishop Christian (991-1013) received special rights from Emperor Otto III. These rights included controlling markets, making coins, collecting taxes, and having legal power. From this time on, the bishops of Passau acted like princes, even though the official title "Prince of the Empire" was used later, in 1193.

Under Bishop Berengar (1013–1045), the diocese expanded further east. During his time, the group of priests called the cathedral chapter became more organized. They had the right to elect a bishop, but emperors often influenced these choices.

Challenges and Reforms

During the Investiture Controversy, a big fight between popes and emperors over who could appoint bishops, Bishop Altmann (1065–1091) supported the Pope. He tried to make priests follow rules like not marrying. He was even forced out of his diocese by his own clergy who supported the Emperor.

Later bishops, like Ulrich (1092–1121) and Conrad of Austria (1149–1164), focused on starting new monasteries and improving existing ones. Bishop Diepold of Berg even went on the Third Crusade with Frederick Barbarossa.

In 1217, Bishop Ulrich (1215–1221) was officially recognized as a Prince of the Empire. Bishops like Otto von Lonsdorf (1254–1265) worked to improve monasteries and brought in new religious orders like the Franciscans and Dominicans. He also collected old documents, which helps us understand Passau's early history.

Passau Without a Bishop

Under Bishop Bernhard of Brambach (1285–1313), Passau citizens tried to make their city a free imperial city. After a rebellion in 1298, the bishop gave them more freedoms in 1299. He also built a new cathedral after the old one burned down.

After Bishop Bernhard died in 1313, there was a lot of confusion. Two different candidates were chosen, and it took several years for a new bishop to be officially appointed by the Pope. During this time, there was no bishop in Passau.

Later Medieval Bishops

Bishop Albert von Winkel (1363–1380) fought against rebellious knights and citizens. The terrible Black Death plague affected the diocese under Bishop Gottfried II von Weitzenbeck (1342–1362).

Bishop George von Hohenlohe (1388–1421) was an important advisor to King Sigismund and attended the Council of Konstanz. He was given special permission by Pope John XXIII to make Passau independent from Salzburg, but this was later cancelled by Pope Martin V.

Passau and the Emperors

During the time of Bishop Ulrich von Nussdorf (1451–1479), the diocese lost some land. Pope Paul II created the Diocese of Vienna in 1469, taking territory from Passau at the request of Emperor Frederick III. Later, Pope Sixtus IV took even more land for Vienna.

There was also a big conflict over who would be the next bishop. The Emperor wanted his own candidate, George Hasler, but the local church leaders elected Frederick Maurkircher. Pope Sixtus IV sided with the Emperor, but Cardinal Hasler was not welcomed in Passau. After Hasler died, Pope Sixtus IV finally appointed Frederick Mauerkircher as bishop.

The Reformation Period

The Protestant Reformation was a major religious change in Europe. In the Bavarian part of the Passau diocese, the new Protestant ideas were mostly kept out. However, in the Austrian parts, many people became Lutherans. Bishops Wolfgang von Salm (1540–1555) and Urban von Trennbach (1561–1598) worked hard to bring people back to the Catholic Church (this was called the counter-Reformation).

Under Bishop Wolfgang, the Peace of Passau was signed in 1552. This was an important agreement during the Reformation. Later bishops, especially those from Austria, continued to support the Catholic side. Bishop-elect Leopold Ferdinand of Austria (1598–1625) was one of the first to join the Catholic League in 1609, a group of Catholic states.

Leopold II Wilhelm (1625–1662) was a very religious prince who helped rebuild Passau after a big fire in 1662. He also held five bishoprics at once.

Building the New Cathedral

Bishop Wenzelaus von Thun (1664–1673) started building the new cathedral, which was finished by his successor, Cardinal John Philip von Lamberg. Later, his nephew, Cardinal Joseph Dominicus von Lamberg (1723–1762), also became bishop. Both were important diplomats for Austria.

Becoming an Archdiocese (Briefly)

In 1719, Emperor Charles VI asked Pope Clement XI to make Vienna a main archdiocese. When Vienna became an archdiocese in 1722, Passau gave up some of its parishes. In return, Passau became independent from Salzburg and was directly under the Pope. Its bishop even received the pallium, a special church vestment.

Archbishop Leopold Ernst von Firmian (1763–1783) started a theology institute in Passau. After the suppression of the Jesuits in 1773, he founded a lyceum (a type of school).

Loss of Territory

Under Archbishop Joseph von Auersperg (1783–1795), Emperor Joseph II took away two-thirds of Passau's territory to create new dioceses: Linz and St. Pölten. He also enlarged the archdiocese of Vienna. Pope Pius VI officially established these new dioceses in 1784.

The last prince-bishop, Leopold von Thun (1796–1826), saw the end of the old bishopric in 1803. This was called "secularization," meaning the church's land and power were taken over by the state. Passau and its surrounding areas went to Bavaria and Austria. The prince-bishop moved to Bohemia and never returned to Passau.

Rebuilding the Diocese

After Napoleon's defeat in 1815, new borders were set for countries and church areas. Bavaria and the Pope signed an agreement called a "concordat" in 1817. This agreement changed the church structure.

In 1818, Pope Pius VII officially made these changes. The old church province of Ratisbon, which included Passau, was abolished. When the Diocese of Passau was reformed, it included 136 parishes. The cathedral's governing body, the Chapter, was reduced in size.

Passau remained directly under the Pope until the last prince-archbishop, Leopold von Thun, died in 1826. After that, the diocese became part of the Munich-Freising archdiocese again.

Interestingly, Pope Benedict XVI was born and baptized in Marktl am Inn in 1927, which is located within the Diocese of Passau.

Bishops of Passau

The auxiliary bishops of Passau are listed on a separate page.

Bishops up to 1200

Bishops from 1200 to 1500

Bishops from 1500 to 1826

Bishops since 1826

See also

• List of auxiliary bishops of Passau

Sources

Studies

• Brackmann, Albertus (ed.). Germania pontificia, Vol. 1, Pars I: Provincia Salisburgensis et episcopatus Tridentinus. . Berlin: Weidmann 1910. [Passau: pp. 157–257].
• Erhard, Alexander (1864). Geschichte der Stadt Passau. Volume 1 Passau: F. W. Keppler, 1864.
• Hansiz, Marcus. Germaniae sacræ: Metropolis Lauriacensis cum Episcopatu Pataviensi. . Tomus I (1727). Augusta Vindelicorum (Augsburg): Happach & Schlüter.
• Higby, Chester P. (1918). The Religious Policy of the Bavarian Government During the Napoleonic Period. New York: Columbia University Press, 1918.
• Kappel, Johann Evangelist (1912). Der Dom des hl. Stephan zu Passau in Vergangenheit und Gegenwart. . Regensburg: Manz, 1912.
• Leidl, August (1993). Das Bistum Passau zwischen Wiener Konkordat (1448) und Gegenwart: Kurzporträts der Passauer Bischöfe, Weihbischöfe, Offiziale (Generalvikare) dieser Epoche. . Passau: Passavia Universitätsverlag und -druck, 1993.
• Meindl, Konrad (1875). Geschichte der ehemals hochfürstlich-passauischen freien Reichsherrschaft des Marktes und der Pfarre Obernberg am In. Vol. 1. . Linz: Katholische Pressverein 1875.
• Monumenta Boica: Codices Traditionum Ecclesiae Pataviensis, olim Laureacenses. . Vol. 28, 2. München: Typis Academicis, 1830.
• Monumenta Boica: Authentica episcopatus Pataviensis . Vol. 31, 2. München: Typis Academicis, 1837.
• Pez, Hieronymus (1721). Scriptores rerum Austriacarum, Tomus 1. . Leipzig: Sumptibus Joh. Frid. Gleditschii b. filii, 1721. [ "Breve Chronicon Laureacensium et Pataviensium Archiepiscoporum et Episcoporum", pp. 3–8; "Anonymi Poetae Vetustissimi Versus", pp. 7–10; "Alius Recentior Catalogus", pp. 15–20.]
• Roach, Levi (2022). "Forging Episcopal Identity: Pilgrim at Passau", in: Forgery and Memory at the End of the First Millennium. Princeton University Press, 2022, pp. 61–112.
• Rotermundt, Joseph ALois (1833). Geschichte der Begründung des Klerikal-Seminars in Passau. . Passau: Ambrosi, 1833.
• Schöller, Joseph (1844). Die Bischöfe von Passau und ihre Zeitereignisse. . Pustet, 1844
• Schrödl, Karl (1879). Passavia sacra: Geschichte des Bisthums Passau bis zur Säkularisation des Fürstenthums Passau. Hauptband. 1. Passau: Waldbauer 1879.
• Wurster, Herbert W. (1994). Das Bistum Passau und seine Geschichte: Von den Anfängen bis zur Jahrtausendwende. . Eckbolsheim: Editions du Signe, 1994.
• Zurstrassen, Annette (1989). Die Passauer Bischöfe des 12. Jahrhunderts: Studien zur ihrer Klosterpolitik und zur Administration des Bistums : Vorarbeiten zu den Regesten der Passauer Bischöfe. . Bern: Wiss.-Verlag Rothe, 1989.