"Freising remains in my heart": Mayor commemorates Ratzinger's work in the city - Requiem in the cathedral
Created: 01/02/2023, 19:00
Acclaimed: On June 24, 1977, Joseph Ratzinger was appointed Archbishop of Munich and Freising.
He was received by 6,000 people on Freising's Marienplatz (here with the then Mayor Adolf Schäfer, left, and the then Dean Walter Brugger, right).
© Archive: Lehmann
On the death of Pope Benedict XVI.
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Freising's Lord Mayor commemorates his work in the cathedral city.
On Wednesday, Freising bids farewell with a requiem.
Freising
– The death of Pope Benedict XVI.
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moves the district.
Freising's Lord Mayor Tobias Eschenbacher remembers Joseph Ratzinger's work in the cathedral city.
Strong connection to the cathedral city
“The honorary citizenship, awarded by the Freising City Council, was bestowed on the Holy Father on January 16, 2010, on the basis of his outstanding services to the cathedral city during a private audience in the Vatican.
"Pope Benedict XVI.
lived in Freising as a student and in preparation for priestly ordination.
He was ordained a priest in Freising Cathedral and later worked as a lecturer in Freising.
Even as Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger remained connected to our city: it is thanks to his application that Freising Cathedral was elevated to the status of concathedral.
The awarding of the Golden Citizens' Medal as a farewell to his Archdiocese was recognition of his work in Freising.
The inclusion of the Freisinger Moor and the Freisinger Bär in the papal coat of arms as well as the unforgettable visit of His Holiness on September 14, 2006 are visible signs of his lasting connection with Freising”, summarized the document text the connections.
In a very personal, freely held speech, the Pope thanked the delegation for the honor and assured the delegation: "Freising will remain in my heart as home!"
In a speech in the open air on Marienplatz in Freising, Joseph Ratzinger introduced himself to the faithful in the Archdiocese as the new Archbishop of Munich and Freising.
Five days later he was made a cardinal.
© Archive: Lehmann
Priestly ordination on the Domberg
In autumn 1945, Joseph Ratzinger, born on April 16, 1927 in Marktl am Inn, entered the seminary of his home diocese on Domberg in Freising at the age of 18 and studied philosophy at the philosophical-theological university there until the summer of 1947.
After studying theology in Munich, he spent the last months preparing for priestly ordination back in Freising.
On June 29, 1951, he was ordained a priest with his brother Georg and 42 other candidates for ordination by Cardinal Michael Faulhaber in Freising Cathedral, in his own words "a bright summer day that remains unforgettable as the high point of life".
Moving to Domberg
Joseph Ratzinger initially worked for some time as a pastor in Munich, but from October 1952 he was again active as a lecturer at the seminary in Freising.
At the same time, he wrote his doctoral thesis for his doctorate at the University of Munich.
From the winter semester of 1954/55 he held the chair for dogmatics and fundamental theology at the Freising University.
When a professor's apartment on the Domberg became available, Ratzinger moved into the rooms, which, as he wrote, offered him the opportunity "to bring father and mother to Freising".
This time also served to prepare for his habilitation at Munich University.
On January 1, 1958, he was appointed professor of dogmatics and fundamental theology at Freising University, but just over a year later he was offered a position at the University of Bonn.
Years as a university lecturer at the universities of Münster, Tübingen and Regensburg followed.
On March 25, 1977, Joseph Ratzinger was ordained by Pope Paul VI.
appointed archbishop of Munich and Freising - at that time he again entered into a close relationship with the old episcopal city on the Isar.
On June 24, 1977, the people of Freising gave him a warm welcome on the crowded Marienplatz.
On June 29, 1977 he was appointed cardinal.
Many official business and religious services regularly brought the Archbishop to Freising, in particular the conferral of priestly ordination in June or the celebration of the Corbinian Festival in November.
The presidency of the Bavarian Bishops' Conference, which met regularly in Freising, also involved stays in the cathedral city.
There were also private visits.
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Freising Cathedral becomes a concathedral
On November 25, 1981, Cardinal Ratzinger was appointed Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith;
in February 1982 he took leave of his archdiocese.
The city of Freising awarded him the Golden Citizen's Medal.
In 1983, Freising Cathedral was raised to the status of concathedral, which Josef Ratzinger had applied for while still archbishop in Rome.
Elected Pope on April 19, 2005, Benedict XVI.
2006 his old Bavarian homeland.
Stations of his journey were above all his earlier places of activity - the conclusion was the visit of the old episcopal city of Freising on September 14, 2006 - place of his ordination to the priesthood and his work as a professor and archbishop.
Unforgotten and unforgettable: After his arrival in Freising, Pope Benedict drove through the festively decorated city center, warmly welcomed by thousands.
In the cathedral courtyard he signed the city's golden book.
The celebration in the cathedral was marked by the meeting with the clergy of the archdiocese.
The pope prayed at the shrine of the diocese's patron Korbinian and then addressed the guests gathered in the cathedral.
The visit of Pope Benedict XVI remains for Freising.
a historical event
By the way: Everything from the region is now also available in our regular Freising newsletter.)
At the beginning of 2022, the publication of the abuse report cast a shadow over Ratzinger's life's work.
He didn't prosecute the perpetrators and didn't care about the victims.
When this became known, voices were raised to withdraw Ratzinger's honorary citizenship solely out of consideration for the victims.
Thoughts in this regard are currently premature, says Eschenbacher when asked by FT.
"One by one."
ft
Book of Condolence and Requiem
The town church and the cathedral church say goodbye to Benedict XVI together with a requiem on Wednesday, January 4th.
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Auxiliary Bishop Haßlberger will preside over the Eucharistic celebration at 7 p.m. in the Mariendom.
All believers are invited to the celebration.
From Thursday, January 5, a book of condolences will be available in Freising town hall, which is adorned with black ribbons, in which citizens can write (1st floor, room 10).
You can find more current news from the district of Freising at Merkur.de/Freising.