Hilarios Karl-Heinz Ungerer
Encyclopedia
Hilarios Karl-Heinz Ungerer is a German
Bishop
based in Munich
, where he currently heads the Free Catholic Church
, though his routes trace back through other independent European churches. Bishop Ungerer has received mention in the international press for being the co-consecrator, in 1998, with Bishop
Roberto Garrido Padin
, of Bishop
Rómulo Antonio Braschi
, who carried out the controversial ordinations of Catholic
women on the Danube River in 2002. This group of women, among them theologians and religious, became known as the Danube Seven
.
Movement in Germany, and was consecrated Bishop
several years later. Having established a "shop church" on one of the main thoroughfares of downtown Munich
, in 1976 he became part of the German branch of the Mariavite Church
, a Polish
Marian
Catholic
movement that broke away from the Roman Catholic Church
in 1909 and entered into communion
with the Old Catholic Church
of the Netherlands
. On 6 October 1976 Ungerer was consecrated bishop (sub-conditione) by the Mariavite Bishop Norbert Maas, but on 8 August 1978 he achieved demission.
in Germany
, considered to be a German expression of the independent Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church
which broke away from Rome
in 1945.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
based in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, where he currently heads the Free Catholic Church
Free Catholic Church
The Free Catholic Church is a German derivative movement of the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church.-Church background:In 1937 the Roman Catholic bishop Carlos Duarte Costa - and his diocese of Botucatu, Brazil - severed ties with the Vatican. The bishop was excommunicated in 1945 after he accused...
, though his routes trace back through other independent European churches. Bishop Ungerer has received mention in the international press for being the co-consecrator, in 1998, with Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
Roberto Garrido Padin
Roberto Garrido Padin
Roberto Garrido Padin is a bishop of the Independent Catholic Church, based at the church of Santa Barbara in Salvador de Bahia, Northern Brazil....
, of Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
Rómulo Antonio Braschi
Rómulo Antonio Braschi
Rómulo Antonio Braschi is an Argentine Independent Catholic bishop, not in communion with the Vatican.Born in Buenos Aires, and ordained a Roman Catholic priest in August 1966, he was associated with members of the worker-priest movement in Argentina and the Movimiento de Sacerdotes para el Tercer...
, who carried out the controversial ordinations of Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
women on the Danube River in 2002. This group of women, among them theologians and religious, became known as the Danube Seven
Danube Seven
The Danube Seven are a group of seven women from Germany, Austria and the United States who were ordained on a ship on the Danube on 29 June 2002 by Rómulo Antonio Braschi, an Independent Catholic bishop whose own episcopal ordination was considered 'valid but...
.
History
Hilarios Karl-Heinz Ungerer was ordained priest twice in 1967 in the Free Catholic ChurchFree Catholic Church
The Free Catholic Church is a German derivative movement of the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church.-Church background:In 1937 the Roman Catholic bishop Carlos Duarte Costa - and his diocese of Botucatu, Brazil - severed ties with the Vatican. The bishop was excommunicated in 1945 after he accused...
Movement in Germany, and was consecrated Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
several years later. Having established a "shop church" on one of the main thoroughfares of downtown Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, in 1976 he became part of the German branch of the Mariavite Church
Mariavite Church
The Mariavite Church is an independent Christian church that emerged from the Catholic Church of Poland at the turn of the 20th century. Initially, it was an internal movement leading to a reform of the Polish clergy. After a conflict with Polish bishops, it became a separate and independent...
, a Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
Marian
Marian
Marian may refer to:* Marian , people with the given name Marian* Maid Marian, companion of Robin Hood* Marian, an adjective for things relating to Gaius Marius...
Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
movement that broke away from the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
in 1909 and entered into communion
Communion (Christian)
The term communion is derived from Latin communio . The corresponding term in Greek is κοινωνία, which is often translated as "fellowship". In Christianity, the basic meaning of the term communion is an especially close relationship of Christians, as individuals or as a Church, with God and with...
with the Old Catholic Church
Old Catholic Church
The term Old Catholic Church is commonly used to describe a number of Ultrajectine Christian churches that originated with groups that split from the Roman Catholic Church over certain doctrines, most importantly that of Papal Infallibility...
of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. On 6 October 1976 Ungerer was consecrated bishop (sub-conditione) by the Mariavite Bishop Norbert Maas, but on 8 August 1978 he achieved demission.
The present
Since then Bishop Ungerer has led the Free Catholic ChurchFree Catholic Church
The Free Catholic Church is a German derivative movement of the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church.-Church background:In 1937 the Roman Catholic bishop Carlos Duarte Costa - and his diocese of Botucatu, Brazil - severed ties with the Vatican. The bishop was excommunicated in 1945 after he accused...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, considered to be a German expression of the independent Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church
Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church
The Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church is an independent Catholic church established in 1945 by Brazilian bishop Dom Carlos Duarte Costa, a former Roman Catholic Bishop of Botucatu.The ICAB has 58 dioceses and claims five million members in 17 countries...
which broke away from Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in 1945.
External links
- http://www.freikatholische-kirche.de/
- http://www.mariavit.de/personal/demisung.htm