Anton Schlembach (7 February 1932 – 15 June 2020) was a German
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
clergyman who served as the 95th
Bishop of Speyer
The Bishop of Speyer is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Speyer, which is a suffragan see of the Archdiocese of Bamberg.
Münnerstadt
Münnerstadt is a town in the district of Bad Kissingen in Bavaria, Germany. It has a population of around 7,600.
Geography
It borders on the towns of Burglauer, Bad Bocklet, Nüdlingen, Maßbach, Großbardorf, and Strahlungen. The municipal ter ...
,
Unterfranken
Lower Franconia (german: Unterfranken) is one of seven districts of Bavaria, Germany. The districts of Lower, Middle and Upper Franconia make up the region of Franconia.
History
After the founding of the Kingdom of Bavaria the state was totally r ...
in the archdiocese of Würzburg, the oldest of four children in a farmer's family. After graduating in 1950, from the Humanist Gymnasium in Miltenberg, he studied Catholic theology at the
University of Würzburg
The Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg (also referred to as the University of Würzburg, in German ''Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg'') is a public research university in Würzburg, Germany. The University of Würzburg is one of ...
and at the Papal University in Rome. He was ordained as a priest of Würzburg on 10 October 1956 with Cardinal
Franz König
Franz König (3 August 1905 – 13 March 2004) was an Austrian Cardinal of the Catholic Church. He served as archbishop of Vienna from 1956 to 1985, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1958. The last surviving cardinal elevated by Pope John ...
. In 1959 he was awarded
doctorate of theology
Doctor of Theology ( la, Doctor Theologiae, abbreviated DTh, ThD, DTheol, or Dr. theol.) is a terminal degree in the academic discipline of theology. The ThD, like the ecclesiastical Doctor of Sacred Theology, is an advanced research degree equiva ...
. In 1981 he became
vicar general
A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ...
in Würzburg.
As Bishop of Speyer
On 25 August 1983
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
named him the successor to bishop
Friedrich Wetter
Friedrich Wetter (born 20 February 1928) is a German cardinal of the Catholic Church. He was Archbishop of Munich and Freising, Germany, from 1982 to 2007. He was Bishop of Speyer from 1968 to 1982. He has been a cardinal since 1985.
Early l ...
. He ascended to the office on 16 October 1983 in the Speyer cathedral, consecrated by his predecessor
Friedrich Wetter
Friedrich Wetter (born 20 February 1928) is a German cardinal of the Catholic Church. He was Archbishop of Munich and Freising, Germany, from 1982 to 2007. He was Bishop of Speyer from 1968 to 1982. He has been a cardinal since 1985.
Early l ...
,
Archbishop of Munich
The following people were bishops, prince-bishops or archbishops of Freising or Munich and Freising in Bavaria:
Bishops of Freising
* St. Corbinian (724–730); founded the Benedictine abbey in Freising, although the diocese was not organ ...
.
Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...
agreed to his retirement, effective 10 February 2007.
Schlembach died 15 June 2020, aged 88.
Writings
* Anton Schlembach, Waltraud Herbstrith: ''Erinnere dich – vergiss es nicht: Edith Stein – christlich-jüdische Perspektiven''; Plöger Medien, 1986;
* Anton Schlembach, Karlheinz Debus: ''Robert Schuman. Lothringer – Europäer – Christ''; Speyer: Pilger-Verlag, .
* Anton Schlembach, ''Dienst unter sechs Päpsten''; in: Bernhard Oswald (Hrsg.): ''Lebenswege. Miltenberger Abiturienten 1950''; Miltenberg 2007;
* Anton Schlembach: ''Zeugen des Glaubens. Predigten und Beiträge aus 24 Bischofsjahren. Festgabe zum 75. Geburtstag von Bischof Dr. Anton Schlembach''; Speyer: Pilger-Verlag, 2007;