Walter Brandmüller facts for kids
Quick facts for kids His Eminence Walter Brandmüller |
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| Cardinal-Priest 'pro hac vice' of San Giuliano dei Fiamminghi | |
| Church | Catholic Church |
| Appointed | 20 November 2010 (as Cardinal-Deacon) 3 May 2021 (as Cardinal-Priest) |
| Enthroned | 6 March 2011 |
| Predecessor | Jan Pieter Schotte |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 26 July 1953 |
| Consecration | 13 November 2010 by Raffaele Farina |
| Created Cardinal | 20 November 2010 |
| Rank | Cardinal-Deacon (2010-21) Cardinal-Priest (2021-) |
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Walter Brandmüller |
| Born | 5 January 1929 Ansbach, Germany |
| Denomination | Catholic (Latin Church) |
| Previous post | President of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences (1998-2009) Titular Archbishop of Caesarea in Mauretania (2010) |
| Alma mater | Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich |
| Motto | Ignem in Terram ("(To cast) fire upon the Earth") |
| Coat of arms |  |
| Styles of Walter Brandmüller |
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| Reference style | His Eminence |
| Spoken style | Your Eminence |
| Informal style | Cardinal |
Walter Brandmüller (born on January 5, 1929) is a German leader in the Catholic Church. He became a Cardinal in 2010. From 1998 to 2009, he was the head of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences. This group helps the Pope with historical research.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Walter Brandmüller was born in 1929 in Ansbach, Germany. His father was Catholic, and his mother was Protestant. He was first baptized as a Protestant. Later, when he was a teenager, he chose to become a Roman Catholic.
He went to the Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich. In 1963, he earned a special degree in history. His studies focused on how Catholic communities were re-established in certain German areas. In 1967, he completed another important study about the Council of Siena, which was a big meeting of church leaders in the 1400s.
Becoming a Priest and Professor
On July 26, 1953, Walter Brandmüller became a priest. He was ordained in Bamberg by Archbishop Joseph Otto Kolb. For several years, he worked in churches in Kronach and Bamberg, helping people and leading services.
After that, he continued his studies in Munich. From 1969 to 1971, he taught Church History at the University of Dillingen. Then, from 1970 until he retired in 1997, he was a professor at the University of Augsburg. He taught about the history of the Church from medieval times to modern times. He also served as a parish priest in Walleshausen from 1971 to 1998.
Brandmüller is an expert on the history of church councils. These are important meetings where church leaders discuss beliefs and rules. He started a journal and a book series about council history. He also helped create a "Handbook of Bavarian Church History."
In 1983, he was named an Honorary Prelate. This is a special title given by the Pope. In 1990, he received an award from the German president for his work. From 1998 to 2009, he led the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences. This committee helps the Pope understand and preserve Church history.
Becoming a Cardinal
On November 20, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI made Walter Brandmüller a Cardinal. Before becoming a cardinal, he was made a bishop on November 13, 2010. This was done by Cardinal Raffaele Farina.
In September 2016, Cardinal Brandmüller and three other cardinals sent a private letter to Pope Francis. They had five dubia, which means "questions" in Latin. They wanted clear answers about some teachings in the Pope's document called Amoris laetitia. One question was about whether divorced people who remarry could receive certain sacraments. The other questions were about important Christian beliefs.
When they didn't get a reply, they made their letter public in November 2016. In May 2017, they sent another letter asking to meet with the Pope. They made this letter public in June 2017 because they still had not received a response.
After being a cardinal deacon for ten years, he chose to become a cardinal priest. Pope Francis confirmed this change on May 3, 2021.
In August 2023, Cardinal Brandmüller and four other cardinals sent another list of five dubia to Pope Francis. These questions were about an upcoming meeting called the Synod on Synodality. They asked if the meeting was truly needed. They also questioned if blessing same-sex unions was allowed by Church teachings. Another question was about the Pope's idea that "forgiveness is a human right."
Published Works
Cardinal Brandmüller has written many books and articles. Here are a few examples:
- The Council of Constance 1414–1418: This two-volume work is about a very important church council.
- The Council of Pavia-Siena 1423–1424: This book is about another historical church council.
- Letters about the First Vatican Council: This book shares letters from the secretary of the First Vatican Council.
- "Unity and Indissolubility of Marriage": This essay discusses marriage in the Catholic Church from the Middle Ages to the Council of Trent.
See also
In Spanish: Walter Brandmüller para niños
