Johannes van Neercassel
Encyclopedia
Johannes Baptista van Neercassel (Gorinchem
, 1625 – Zwolle
, 6 June 1686) was Vicar Apostolic to the Dutch Mission
from 1663 to 1686.
and in Paris
, where he joined the Oratorians. He was ordained priest in 1648 and in 1652 joined the Dutch Mission. In 1662 he was consecrated titular bishop of Castorie and in 1663 made vicar apostolic. In that role he maintained good relations with the civil authorities of the Dutch Republic
, winning some degree of tolerance for Catholics. After the capture of Utrecht
by the French in 1672, the French authorised Catholics to worship publicly - the Cathedral was returned to Catholic use and Van Neercassel celebrated Mass there many times. On 22 August 1673 he even organised a major procession of the Holy Sacrament through the city streets. He hoped to re-establish Utrecht as an episcopal seat, but Rome showed much hesitation on the issue, the Holy See being unfavourable to the seat being restored under French protection.
The liberties Catholics had gained came to an end in 1673, when the French were forced to retreat from Utrecht. Although there was little thought of reprisals by the Protestants, Van Neercassel judged it expedient to leave Holland temporarily, continuing the Dutch Mission's work from abroad and later from Leiden. He later died of complications from pneumonia
.
A respected figure on the international stage, with an excellent network of contacts in France and Rome, Johannes van Neercassel represented spiritualist Jansenism
and had good relations with Port-Royal. In time the Jesuits succeeded in undermining his position and his theological work Amor poenitens (1683) was put on the Index of Prohibited Books after his death.
Gorinchem
Gorinchem , also called Gorkum , is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 21.99 km² of which 3.03 km² is water...
, 1625 – Zwolle
Zwolle
Zwolle is a municipality and the capital city of the province of Overijssel, Netherlands, 120 kilometers northeast of Amsterdam. Zwolle has about 120,000 citizens.-History:...
, 6 June 1686) was Vicar Apostolic to the Dutch Mission
Dutch Mission
The Dutch Mission was from 1592 until 1853 the name of the former Catholic Church province of Utrecht in the area of the current Netherlands....
from 1663 to 1686.
Life
He studied at LouvainOld University of Leuven
The Old University of Leuven is the name historians give to the university, or studium generale, founded in Leuven, Brabant , in 1425, and closed in 1797, a week after the cession to the French Republic of the Austrian Netherlands and the principality of Liège by the Treaty of Campo Formio.When...
and in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, where he joined the Oratorians. He was ordained priest in 1648 and in 1652 joined the Dutch Mission. In 1662 he was consecrated titular bishop of Castorie and in 1663 made vicar apostolic. In that role he maintained good relations with the civil authorities of the Dutch Republic
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
, winning some degree of tolerance for Catholics. After the capture of Utrecht
Utrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
by the French in 1672, the French authorised Catholics to worship publicly - the Cathedral was returned to Catholic use and Van Neercassel celebrated Mass there many times. On 22 August 1673 he even organised a major procession of the Holy Sacrament through the city streets. He hoped to re-establish Utrecht as an episcopal seat, but Rome showed much hesitation on the issue, the Holy See being unfavourable to the seat being restored under French protection.
The liberties Catholics had gained came to an end in 1673, when the French were forced to retreat from Utrecht. Although there was little thought of reprisals by the Protestants, Van Neercassel judged it expedient to leave Holland temporarily, continuing the Dutch Mission's work from abroad and later from Leiden. He later died of complications from pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
.
A respected figure on the international stage, with an excellent network of contacts in France and Rome, Johannes van Neercassel represented spiritualist Jansenism
Jansenism
Jansenism was a Christian theological movement, primarily in France, that emphasized original sin, human depravity, the necessity of divine grace, and predestination. The movement originated from the posthumously published work of the Dutch theologian Cornelius Otto Jansen, who died in 1638...
and had good relations with Port-Royal. In time the Jesuits succeeded in undermining his position and his theological work Amor poenitens (1683) was put on the Index of Prohibited Books after his death.
Source
- De Katholieke Encyclopaedie (Amsterdam, 1938)
- M.Chr.M. Molenaar / G.A.M. Abbink, Dertienhonderd jaar bisdom Utrecht (Baarn, 1995)