Kasper Franck
Encyclopedia
Kasper Franck was a German theologian and controversialist.
, Saxony
. His parents were Lutherans, and he was initially a Protestant minister and preacher. Ladislaus von Fraunberg , Count of Haag (1505–1566), who had recently introduced the reformed faith into his province, invited him to his court. The premature death, however, of Ladislaus prevented Franck from carrying out the proposed plans of reform.
Albert V, Duke of Bavaria
, the successor of Ladislaus, resolved to restore the Catholic religion, and called in the convert and preacher, Martin Eisengrein
. His intercourse with Eisengrein led Franck to an eventual conversion to Catholicism.
In 1566, he matriculated at the University of Ingolstadt
, devoted himself to the study of the Church Fathers
and the early Christian Church, and on 25 January 1568, made a formal profession of the Catholic faith. Albert recognized in him as a man of great usefulness and obtained from Pope Pius V
a dispensation to have him ordained a priest.
Before beginning his missionary labours, he published a work setting forth the reasons and justification of his return to the ancient faith. His efforts in Haag
and Kraiburg
were crowned with success.
In 1572, he was again in the University of Ingolstadt, pursuing his theological studies and the following year he was appointed its rector, which office he again held later for several consecutive terms. On the occasion of the General Jubilee in 1575, he set out for Rome, won at Siena
the doctorate in theology and shortly afterwards Pope Gregory XIII
conferred on him the title of Prothonotary Apostolic and Comes Lateranensis.
He died at Ingolstadt
.
Life
Kasper Franck was born in OrtrandOrtrand
Ortrand is a town in the Oberspreewald-Lausitz district, in southern Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated 24 km southwest of Senftenberg, and 36 km north of Dresden....
, Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
. His parents were Lutherans, and he was initially a Protestant minister and preacher. Ladislaus von Fraunberg , Count of Haag (1505–1566), who had recently introduced the reformed faith into his province, invited him to his court. The premature death, however, of Ladislaus prevented Franck from carrying out the proposed plans of reform.
Albert V, Duke of Bavaria
Albert V, Duke of Bavaria
Albert V was Duke of Bavaria from 1550 until his death. He was born in Munich to William IV and Marie Jacobaea of Baden.-Early life:Albert was educated at Ingolstadt under good Catholic teachers...
, the successor of Ladislaus, resolved to restore the Catholic religion, and called in the convert and preacher, Martin Eisengrein
Martin Eisengrein
Martin Eisengrein was a German Catholic theologian and polemical writer.-Biography:He was born of Protestant parents at Stuttgart. He studied the humanities at the Latin school of Stuttgart, and the liberal arts and philosophy at the University of Tübingen...
. His intercourse with Eisengrein led Franck to an eventual conversion to Catholicism.
In 1566, he matriculated at the University of Ingolstadt
University of Ingolstadt
The University of Ingolstadt was founded in 1472 by Louis the Rich, the Duke of Bavaria at the time, and its first Chancellor was the Bishop of Eichstätt. It consisted of five faculties: humanities, sciences, theology, law and medicine, all of which were contained in the Hoheschule...
, devoted himself to the study of the Church Fathers
Church Fathers
The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers, or Fathers of the Church were early and influential theologians, eminent Christian teachers and great bishops. Their scholarly works were used as a precedent for centuries to come...
and the early Christian Church, and on 25 January 1568, made a formal profession of the Catholic faith. Albert recognized in him as a man of great usefulness and obtained from Pope Pius V
Pope Pius V
Pope Saint Pius V , born Antonio Ghislieri , was Pope from 1566 to 1572 and is a saint of the Catholic Church. He is chiefly notable for his role in the Council of Trent, the Counter-Reformation, and the standardization of the Roman liturgy within the Latin Church...
a dispensation to have him ordained a priest.
Before beginning his missionary labours, he published a work setting forth the reasons and justification of his return to the ancient faith. His efforts in Haag
Haag
-Places:*The Hague, in the Netherlands *Several places in Germany:**Haag, Upper Franconia in the district of Bayreuth, Bavaria**Haag an der Amper in the district of Freising, Bavaria**Haag in Oberbayern in the district of Mühldorf, Bavaria...
and Kraiburg
Kraiburg
Kraiburg is a municipality in the district of Mühldorf in Bavaria in Germany....
were crowned with success.
In 1572, he was again in the University of Ingolstadt, pursuing his theological studies and the following year he was appointed its rector, which office he again held later for several consecutive terms. On the occasion of the General Jubilee in 1575, he set out for Rome, won at Siena
Siena
Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...
the doctorate in theology and shortly afterwards Pope Gregory XIII
Pope Gregory XIII
Pope Gregory XIII , born Ugo Boncompagni, was Pope from 1572 to 1585. He is best known for commissioning and being the namesake for the Gregorian calendar, which remains the internationally-accepted civil calendar to this date.-Youth:He was born the son of Cristoforo Boncompagni and wife Angela...
conferred on him the title of Prothonotary Apostolic and Comes Lateranensis.
He died at Ingolstadt
Ingolstadt
Ingolstadt is a city in the Free State of Bavaria, in the Federal Republic of Germany. It is located along the banks of the Danube River, in the center of Bavaria. As at 31 March 2011, Ingolstadt had 125.407 residents...
.
Works
His polemical writings manifest care and an intimate familiarity with patristic literature. Among them are:- "Brevis et Pia Institutio de puro verbo Dei et clara S. Evangelii luce" (Ingolstadt, 1571);
- "Tractatus de ordinaria, legitima et apostolica vocatione sacerdotem et concionatorum", etc. (Inglolstat, 1571);
- "Casperis Franci de externo, visibili et hiearchico, Ecclesiae Catholicae sacerdotio", (Cologne, 1575);
- "Catalogus haereticorum" (Ingolstadt, 1576);
- "Explicatio totius historiae Passionis et Mortis Domini", etc. (Inglolstat, 1572);
- "Fundamentum Catholicae Fidei contra Schmidelin" (Ingolstadt, 1578).