Alfons Maria Stickler
Archivist & Librarian Emeritus of the Holy Roman Church | |
See | Volsinium (Titular) |
Installed | 27 May 1985 – 1 July 1988 |
Predecessor | Antonio Samorè |
Successor | Antonio María Javierre Ortas |
Other post(s) | Previously Pro-Archivist of the Holy Roman Church, Pro-Librarian of the Holy Roman Church |
Orders | |
Created cardinal | 25 May 1985 |
Personal details | |
Born | 23 August 1910 |
Died | 12 December 2007 Vatican City | (aged 97)
Styles of Alfons Maria Stickler | |
---|---|
His Eminence | |
Spoken style | Your Eminence |
Informal style | Cardinal |
See | Volsinium (titular) |
Alfons Maria Stickler
Biography
Stickler was born in
Stickler taught at the Salesian Pontifical University as Professor of Canon Law and Church Legal History for eight years. From 1958 to 1966 he served as rector of the University, having previously served as Dean of the Canon Law Faculty since 1953. Stickler participated as a peritus, or expert, at the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965), working as a member on the Commission for the Clergy, the Commission for the Liturgy, and (in his capacity as rector of the Salesian University) the commission directed by the Congregation for Seminaries and Universities. From the close of the council until 1968, Stickler was president of the newly founded Institutum Altioris Latinitas.
On 8 September 1983, he was appointed
Stickler reported that Karol Wojtyła, the future
Stickler served as Librarian and Archivist until his resignation on 1 July 1988. During his tenure he promoted the construction of underground storage for the conservation and consultation of all the codices and printed books of the library. He chose to be raised to the rank of
Upon the death of Johannes Willebrands on 1 August 2006, Stickler became the oldest living cardinal. In 2007, he celebrated the seventieth anniversary of his priestly ordination.
Stickler studied the history of canon law with Stephan Kuttner and published on that subject.
Support for tradition
Stickler consistently defended the position that the Tridentine Mass was never forbidden or suppressed. He believed that the Mass of Paul VI contradicted the true wishes of the Second Vatican Council,[3] and told the Latin Mass Society of England and Wales that its movement "has full legitimacy in the Church".[4]
On 20 May 1995, Stickler stated that in 1986 a commission of nine cardinals (Stickler, Ratzinger (future Pope Benedict XVI), Mayer, Oddi, Casaroli, Gantin, Innocenti, Palazzini, and Tomko) appointed by Pope John Paul II unanimously gave a negative answer to the question "Did Pope Paul VI or any other competent authority legally forbid the widespread celebration of the Tridentine Mass in the present day?" and to the question "Can any bishop forbid any priest in good standing from celebrating the Tridentine Mass?" He said that eight of the nine were in favour of drawing up a general permission declaring that everyone could choose the old form of the Mass as well as the new.[5]
"The Case for Clerical Celibacy: Its Historical Development and Theological Foundations", written by Stickler, was published in 1995 by
References
- ISBN 978-0-8050-2688-7.
- ^ Zahn, Paula (17 June 2002). "Padre Pio Granted Sainthood". CNN. Retrieved 19 January 2008.
- ^ These Last Days Ministries, Inc. Cardinal Alfons Stickler on the Changes in the Mass and Vatican II 1997
- ^ "Address by H.E. Cardinal Alfons Stickler, 20 June 1992". Archived from the original on 23 April 2007. Retrieved 28 March 2007.
- ^ "John Vennari: Traditional Mass Never Forbidden". Archived from the original on 23 September 2007. Retrieved 28 March 2007.