Fidelis von Stotzingen (1 May 1871 – 9 January 1947) was a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...

Beuron Archabbey Beuron Archabbey (in German Erzabtei Beuron, otherwise Erzabtei St. Martin; in Latin ''Archiabbatia Sancti Martini Beuronensis''; Swabian: ''Erzabtei Beira'') is a major house of the Benedictine Order located at Beuron in the upper Danube va ...

, the second

Abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. The fem ...

Maria Laach Abbey Maria Laach Abbey (in German: ''Abtei Maria Laach'', in Latin: ''Abbatia Maria Lacensis'' or ''Abbatia Maria ad Lacum'') is a Benedictine abbey situated on the southwestern shore of the Laacher See (Lake Laach), near Andernach, in the Eifel re ...

, and the second Abbot Primate of the Order of St. Benedict and the

Benedictine Confederation The Benedictine Confederation of the Order of Saint Benedict ( la, Confœderatio Benedictina Ordinis Sancti Benedicti) is the international governing body of the Order of Saint Benedict. Origin The Benedictine Confederation is a union of monasti ...

Biography

Wilhelm Freiherr von Stotzingen was born in Steisslingen,

Baden Baden (; ) is a historical territory in South Germany, in earlier times on both sides of the Upper Rhine but since the Napoleonic Wars only East of the Rhine. History The margraves of Baden originated from the House of Zähringen. Baden is ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, on 1 May 1871. His parents were

Baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knig ...

Roderich von Stotzingen and Karoline Gräfin (

Countess Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility.L. G. Pine, Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty'' ...

von Rechberg und Rothenlöwen) and he was one of seven children (four sons and three daughters) of ancient Swabian nobility. He completed high school in

Würzburg Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is a city in the region of Franconia in the north of the German state of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the ''Regierungsbezirk'' Lower Franconia. It spans the banks of the Main River. Würzburg is ...

and at the age of nineteen he entered

and made his religious profession as a

on 25 January 1892 receiving the name ''Fidelis''. Initial studies at the Pontificio Ateneo Sant'Anselmo in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

, led to his

ordination Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorization, authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominational ...

to the

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 ...

priesthood on 27 September 1897. He would continue his studies at the same institution receiving in 1899 a Dr. Phil in

Philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...

& Dr. Theo in

Theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

. He then returned to Beuron Archabbey where he would serve as ''Master of Clerics'' and a ''Professor of Dogmatic Theology''. On 31 October 1901, he would be elected as the second

where he would focus on sending "monks to universities for systematic education; he aimed at fuller education for all his sons and fostered lively scholarly activity and interchange of ideas in his community." On 13 May 1913, Stotzingen would be elected as

Coadjutor The term coadjutor (or coadiutor, literally "co-assister" in Latin) is a title qualifier indicating that the holder shares the office with another person, with powers equal to the other in all but formal order of precedence. These include: * Coadj ...

Abbot Primate to the ailing Abbot Primate

Hildebrand de Hemptinne Hildebrand de Hemptinne (10 June 1849 - 13 August 1913) was a Belgium Benedictine monk of Beuron Archabbey, the second Abbot of Maredsous Abbey, and the first Abbot Primate of the Order of St. Benedict and the Benedictine Confederation. Biograp ...

. At the death of the Hemptinne on 13 August 1913, Stotzingen would become the second Abbot Primate of the Order of St. Benedict and the

. As Abbot Primate he resided in Rome, Italy, while also overseeing Sant'Anselmo all'Aventino and promoting the Pontificio Ateneo Sant'Anselmo to the monasteries of the world. Unfortunately,

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

proved problematic, would require Stotzingen to close Sant’Anselmo temporarily on 15 May 1915, and then move to

Einsiedeln Abbey Einsiedeln Abbey (german: Kloster Einsiedeln) is a Benedictine Catholic monastery in the village of Einsiedeln in the canton of Schwyz, Switzerland. The abbey is dedicated to Our Lady of the Hermits, in recognition of Meinrad of Einsiedeln, a he ...

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

where he tried to continue his work as Abbot Primate. This work also involved extensive travel to countries like the US where he would spend ten months visiting abbeys and parishes. In 1919 he would return to Sant’Anselmo and begin the work of restoring the institution. Stotzingen would be reelected in 1925 for another twelve-year term of office, would oversee Sant’Anselmo through the early years of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, and would spend considerable time dealing with the ongoing challenges of the Benedictine Order. On 9 January 1947, Stotzingen died at Collegio Sant’Anselmo from the complications of multiple strokes and was buried in the Collegio Sant'Anselmo vault at the

Campo Verano The Campo Verano (Italian: ''Cimitero del Verano'') is a cemetery in Rome, Italy, founded in the early 19th century. The monumental cemetery is currently divided into sections: the Jewish cemetery, the Catholic cemetery, and the monument to the ...

Cemetery in Rome, Italy.Engelbert, p. 245

References

External links

Maria Laach Abbey
(in German)

(in German)
The Benedictine Confederation of Congregations of Monasteries of the Order of Saint Benedict
(in Italian and English)
International Atlas of Benedictine Monasteries
(in English)
Pontificio Ateneo Sant'Anselmo
(in Italian and English)
Collegio Sant'Anselmo
(in Italian and English) {{DEFAULTSORT:Kälin, Bernard 1891 births 1947 deaths Abbots Primate Benedictine scholars Benedictine writers 20th-century Christian monks Benedictine abbots German abbots German Benedictines

Biography

See also

References

External links