Baron Maximilian Louis Hubert Egon Vincent Marie Joseph von Fürstenberg-Stammheim (also known as Maximilien de Fürstenberg; 23 October 1904 – 22 September 1988) was a

cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **'' Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **'' Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, ...

of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

and was Prefect of the

Congregation for the Oriental Churches The Dicastery for the Eastern Churches (also called Dicastery for the Oriental Churches), previously named Congregation for the Oriental Churches or Congregation for the Eastern Churches ( la, Congregatio pro Ecclesiis Orientalibus), is a dicast ...

Early life and education

He was born in the

Ter Worm Castle Ter Worm'' or ''Terworm Castle ( nl, Kasteel Terworm) is a castle located in the municipality of Heerlen, Limburg Province, Netherlands. The castle is part of the Terworm estate. Description of the castle The present building dates largely from ...

Heerlen Heerlen (; li, Heële ) is a city and a municipality in the southeast of the Netherlands. It is the third largest settlement proper in the province of Limburg. Measured as municipality, it is the fourth municipality in the province of Limburg ...

The Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Nether ...

, of the old Catholic noble family Fürstenberg-Stammheim from Westphalia, Germany. His parents were Baron Adolf Louis Egon Hubert Vincent von Fürstenberg-Stammheim (1870–1950) and Countess Elisabeth Marie Sylvie Ferdinande Joseph d'Oultremont de Wégimont de Warfusée (1879–1953). He was educated at the Abbey college of Maredsous,

Namur Namur (; ; nl, Namen ; wa, Nameur) is a city and municipality in Wallonia, Belgium. It is both the capital of the province of Namur and of Wallonia, hosting the Parliament of Wallonia, the Government of Wallonia and its administration. Na ...

, Belgium from October 1915 to July 1922. He then went on study travel to Latin America and from 1922 until 1928 to the Saint-Louis College in

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

where he studied classics and philosophy. He did military service at the regiment of Grenadiers, and obtained the rank of sub-lieutenant of reserve. His education continued when he entered the Higher Institute of Philosophy at the

University of Louvain A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase ''universitas magistrorum et scholarium'', which ...

, leaving in 1928 with a licentiate in philosophy. That same year he entered the

Pontifical Gregorian University The Pontifical Gregorian University ( it, Pontificia Università Gregoriana; also known as the Gregorian or Gregoriana,) is a higher education ecclesiastical school (pontifical university) located in Rome, Italy. The Gregorian originated as ...

in Rome where he studied until 1932 for a doctorate in theology.

Priesthood

He was ordained on 9 August 1931 and incardinated in the

archdiocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

Mechelen Mechelen (; french: Malines ; traditional English name: MechlinMechelen has been known in English as ''Mechlin'', from where the adjective ''Mechlinian'' is derived. This name may still be used, especially in a traditional or historical contex ...

. He returned to

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

and became a faculty member of the diocesan College of Saint-Jean Berchmans in Antwerp from 1932 until 1934. He served as professor of liturgy at the Grand Seminary of Mechelen until 1946. Named master of ceremonies of Cardinal

Jozef-Ernest van Roey Jozef-Ernest van Roey (13 January 1874 – 6 August 1961) was a Belgian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Mechelen from 1926 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1927. He was significant ...

, in 1934. From 1935 to 1949 he was military chaplain of reserve. On Christmas Day 1943 he was arrested by the Germans at his mother's house because of a

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...

inscription placed on the Christmas candle in the metropolitan cathedral which appeared to express great hope in the Allied disembarkment in North Africa. He was subsequently sentenced to two years in prison. He was freed on Christmas Day 1944. During the Regency of Belgium, he was named chaplain of the court and decorated with the Cross of Knight of the

Order of Leopold II The Order of Leopold II is an order of Belgium and is named in honor of King Leopold II. The decoration was established on 24 August 1900 by Leopold II as Sovereign of the Congo Free State and was in 1908, upon Congo being handed over to Belgium ...

for his patriotic conduct. He was named by the bishops of

rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

of the

Belgian Pontifical College The Belgian Pontifical College ( nl, Belgisch Pauselijk College; french: Collège ecclésiastique belge; it, Pontificio Collegio Belga) in Rome is a Belgian Catholic educational institution. Founded in 1844, the college is the residence for student ...

in Rome on 27 February 1946. He occupied the post until his promotion to the episcopate; among his students was the young priest Karol Wojtyla, future

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 ...

. He was created

Domestic prelate of His Holiness A Prelate of Honour of His Holiness is a Catholic prelate to whom the Pope has granted this title of honour. They are addressed as Monsignor and have certain privileges as regards clerical clothing.Pope Pius XII appointed him

titular Archbishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In ...

of ''Palto'' on 14 March 1949 and

apostolic delegate An apostolic nuncio ( la, nuntius apostolicus; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international org ...

to Japan on 22 March that same year. He became Internuncio to Japan on 28 April 1952. He also served as Apostolic delegate in Australia, New Zealand and Oceania from 1959 until he was appointed

Apostolic Nuncio to Portugal The Apostolic Nunciature to the Republic of Portugal is an ecclesiastical office of the Catholic Church in Portugal. It is a diplomatic post of the Holy See, whose representative is called the Apostolic Nuncio with the rank of an ambassador. For ...

in 1962. He attended the

Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st Catholic ecumenical councils, ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions) ...

from 1962 until 1965. Coat of arms of Maximilien de Furstenberg OESSJ

He was created and proclaimed

Cardinal-Priest A cardinal ( la, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae cardinalis, literally 'cardinal of the Holy Roman Church') is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. Cardinals are created by the ruling pope and typically hold the title for life. Col ...

of ''

Sacro Cuore di Gesù a Castro Pretorio Sacro Cuore di Gesù al Castro Pretorio ( en, Sacred Heart of Jesus at the Praetorian Barracks) is a Roman Catholic parish and titular church in Rome, Italy. History The church was originally projected by Pope Pius IX, the land being bought by ...

'' (deaconry elevated ''

pro hac vice In the legal field, ''pro hac vice'' () is a practice in common law jurisdictions whereby a lawyer who has not been admitted to practice in a certain jurisdiction is allowed to participate in a particular case in that jurisdiction. Although ''pro ...

'' to title) in the

consistory Consistory is the anglicized form of the consistorium, a council of the closest advisors of the Roman emperors. It can also refer to: *A papal consistory, a formal meeting of the Sacred College of Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church *Consistory ...

of 26 June 1967 by

Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his death in Augus ...

. Pope Paul appointed him as Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Oriental Churches on 15 January 1968. For thirty-seven days, in coincidence with the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Congregation in 1969, he traveled to

India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

, Iraq, Syria, Jordan,

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Med ...

, Turkey and the

Holy Land The Holy Land; Arabic: or is an area roughly located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Eastern Bank of the Jordan River, traditionally synonymous both with the biblical Land of Israel and with the region of Palestine. The term "Ho ...

to visit the

patriarch The highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Catholic Church (above major archbishop and primate), the Hussite Church, Church of the East, and some Independent Catholic Churches are termed patriarchs (and in ce ...

s of the Catholic Oriental Churches and also Orthodox Ecumenical

Patriarch Athenagoras I of Constantinople Athenagoras I ( el, Αθηναγόρας Αʹ), born Aristocles Matthaiou ("son of Matthew", a patronymic) Spyrou ( el, Αριστοκλής Ματθαίου Σπύρου, links=no; – July 7, 1972), initially the Greek archbishop in North Ame ...

. As Prefect of the Congregation for the Eastern Churches, the Cardinal was involved in a dispute between the Vatican and Ukrainian Rite Catholics, who protested what they called second-class treatment by the Vatican. In 1971, the Vatican declined to grant patriarchal status to the

Ukrainian Catholic Church Ukrainian Catholic Church may refer to: * Latin Church in Ukraine * Greek Catholic Churches (Eastern Catholic communities of the Byzantine Rite, centered in Ukraine, in communion with the Church of Rome) **Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church **Ukraini ...

; Cardinal von Fürstenberg had earlier declared invalid a synod at which Ukrainian bishops voted for a patriarchal form of church administration. Pope Paul appointed him Grand Master of the Equestrian

Order of the Holy Sepulchre The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Equestris Sancti Sepulcri Hierosolymitani, links=yes, OESSH), also called Order of the Holy Sepulchre or Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, is a Catholic order of knighthood under ...

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

in March 1972, a post he held until his death. He resigned the post of Prefect of the Congregation on 28 February 1973. Cardinal von Fürstenberg took part in the

conclave A papal conclave is a gathering of the College of Cardinals convened to elect a bishop of Rome, also known as the pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Ro ...

s that elected

Pope John Paul I Pope John Paul I ( la, Ioannes Paulus I}; it, Giovanni Paolo I; born Albino Luciani ; 17 October 1912 – 28 September 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City from 26 August 1978 to his death 33 days later. Hi ...

and

August August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars, and the fifth of seven months to have a length of 31 days. Its zodiac sign is Leo and was originally named '' Sextilis'' in Latin because it was the 6th month in t ...

and

October October is the tenth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and the sixth of seven months to have a length of 31 days. The eighth month in the old calendar of Romulus , October retained its name (from Latin and Greek ''ôct� ...

1978. He lost the right to participate in the conclave when he turned 80 years of age, in 1984. Due to bad health, he was admitted as a patient in the polyclinic "Agostino Gemelli" of Rome for several months; on 30 May 1988. Pope John Paul II visited him there. A few days later, he was transferred to the Louvain University clinic of Mont-Godinne, near Namur, Belgium.

Death

Cardinal von Fürstenberg died in Belgium in 1988 of a

cerebral hemorrhage Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), also known as cerebral bleed, intraparenchymal bleed, and hemorrhagic stroke, or haemorrhagic stroke, is a sudden bleeding into the tissues of the brain, into its ventricles, or into both. It is one kind of bleed ...

. The funeral was celebrated on Wednesday 28 September 1988 in

Our Blessed Lady of Zavel Church nl, Onze-Lieve-Vrouw ter Zavelkerk , native_name_lang = , image = Brussels, église Notre Dame du Sablon oeg2043-00070 foto7 2015-06-07 13.28.jpg , image_size = 250px , alt = , caption ...

in Brussels, which is the capitular church of the Belgian lieutenancy of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre. His coffin was covered with the Belgian flag and surmounted with the red

biretta The biretta ( la, biretum, birretum) is a square cap with three or four peaks or horns, sometimes surmounted by a tuft. Traditionally the three-peaked biretta is worn by Catholic clergy and some Anglican and Lutheran clergy. A four-peaked bi ...

. The following day, in accordance with his last will, he was buried in the crypt of the Franciscan church of Mont-Apollinaris at Remagen, Germany, that his great-grandfather, Count

Franz Egon von Fürstenberg-Stammheim Franz Egon Graf von Fürstenberg-Stammheim (24 March 179720 December 1859) was a German aristocrat, landowner and politician. He was a member of the House of Fürstenberg, a Westphalian noble family. Franz Egon was an enthusiastic patron of art, ...

(1797–1859), had built.

References

* * Google Books {{DEFAULTSORT:Furstenberg, Maximilien De 1904 births 1988 deaths Belgian cardinals Belgian Roman Catholics Participants in the Second Vatican Council Canons (priests) Knights of the Order of Leopold II Members of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches Maximilien Cardinals created by Pope Paul VI People from Heerlen Barons of Germany Apostolic Nuncios to Portugal Apostolic Nuncios to Australia Apostolic Nuncios to New Zealand Apostolic Nuncios to Japan Grand Masters of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre Recipients of the Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold II