Bartholomew Holzhauser
Encyclopedia
Venerable Bartholomew Holzhauser (Laugna
, August 24, 1613 - Bingen
, May 20, 1658) was a German
priest
, a founder of a religious community, and a visionary and writer of prophecies
.
s and an earnest desire to enter the sacred ministry.
At Augsburg
, he was admitted to a free school for poor boys, earning his living by sing door to door and beg
ging. He fell sick of an epidemic
raging at that time. After his recovery, Bartholomew went home and for a time helped his father at work.
and Ingolstadt
, with the aid of kind friends and the Jesuits in particular. His teachers were unanimous in praising his talents, his piety, and his modesty, and entertained great hopes of his usefulness in the service of the Church.
On July 9, 1636, he received the degree
of Doctor of Philosophy
, and then studied theology
, in which he merited the baccalaureate
on May 11, 1639. He was ordained into the priesthood by the Bishop of Eichstätt
, and said his first Holy Mass on Pentecost
Sunday, June 12, 1639 in the Church of Our Lady of Victory, at Ingolstadt.
. In the meantime he attended lectures at the university and was declared licentiate
of theology
on June 14, 1640. On August 1 of the same year, he came into the Archdiocese of Salzburg, and was made dean
and pastor
of Tittmoning
.
On February 2, 1642, he became pastor of St John's at Leoggenthal, in the county of Tyrol
, at the behest of the Bishop of Chiemsee
.
In the spring of 1655, at the invitation of Archbishop Johann Philipp von Schönborn
, he went to Mainz
where he was soon appointed pastor at Bingen
on the Rhine, and in 1657 dean of the district of Algesheim
.
He died at Bingen, in the spring of 1658, at the age of only forty-five. Many wonderful things are related of him, extraordinary cures and the like. On the occasion of the second centenary of his death, a great celebration was held at Bingen in the presence of the Bishop of Mainz
. The location of his remains was again found, and in 1880 a new monument was erected over his grave at the parish church. He was declared Venerable
by the Roman Catholic Church
.
, called United Brethren or officially Institutum clericorum sæcularium in communi viventium
, also receiving the designation Communists in the aftermath of the Thirty Years War in Europe
. Because Faith
had become lukewarm among the faithful, and morals and discipline had relaxed not only in the laity but also in the clergy, he decided to establish a new religious society as a remedy.
This would become a congregation known as the Apostolic Union of Secular Priests
. This order would lead an apostolic life in the community and become models of priestly perfection and zealous leaders of the people. Their principle task was to educate in the seminaries. The members of the secular congregation were expected to live in the seminaries, or in groups of two or three in the parishes, and to follow a set routine of daily prayers and exercises. Funds were to be in common, and all female servants were to be dismissed. No vows were to be taken, but a simple promise of obedience to the superior was to be made, confirmed by an oath.
Father Holzhauser first tried to establish such a community in the diocese of Eichstätt, but did not succeed. At Tittmoning
, encouraged by John Christopher von Lichtenstein, the Bishop of Chiemsee
, a suffragan and principal adviser of the Archbishop of Salzburg, he had made a good beginning. Priests joined from the diocese of Chiemsee and from other dioceses.
Holzhauser was a visionary, and made his visions public by presenting them in 1646 to Emperor Ferdinand III
and to Duke Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria
. Ludwig Clarus published these visions, along with a commentary showing their partial fulfillment, in German, in 1849.
One of the prophetic visions concerned England
. Holzhauser foresaw the execution of Charles I of England
and the complete ruin of the Church in that kingdom. He also foresaw that after the Holy Sacrifice had ceased for 120 years, England would be converted and do more for religion than it had done after its first conversion. This seems to have been fulfilled, for the prohibition of the Mass
under penalty of capital punishment was enacted in 1658, and partially recalled in 1778.
He also wrote a remarkable work on the last book of the New Testament
, the Revelation
or the Apocalypse
, which today is still held in high regard by Roman Catholics. He interpreted the book of the Apocalypse as follows: The seven stars and the seven candlesticks seen by St John signify seven periods of the history of the Church, from its foundation to its consummation at the final judgment. To these periods correspond the seven churches of Asia Minor
, the seven days of the Mosaic record of creation, the seven ages before Christ, and the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost. Since, he claimed, all life is developed in seven stages, so God has fixed seven periods for regeneration.
The central features of this apocalyptic commentary, concerned the strong ruler, or the Grand Monarch
, and the Holy Pope
, a favorite subject of medieval prophecy, as well as the division of church history into seven periods.
At the death of Holzhauser, the community had members at Chiemsee
, Salzburg
, Freising
, Eichstätt, Würzburg
, and Mainz
. The institute, however, made many enemies. At the end of the eighteenth century it became extinct, after having had 1595 members.
Laugna
Laugna is a municipality in the district of Dillingen in Bavaria in Germany....
, August 24, 1613 - Bingen
Bingen am Rhein
Bingen am Rhein is a town in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.The settlement’s original name was Bingium, a Celtic word that may have meant “hole in the rock”, a description of the shoal behind the Mäuseturm, known as the Binger Loch. Bingen was the starting point for the...
, May 20, 1658) was a German
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...
priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
, a founder of a religious community, and a visionary and writer of prophecies
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
.
Early life
Bartholomew Holzhauser was born into the family of Leonard and Catherine Holzhauser, who were poor, pious, and honest people. Leonard and Catherine had eleven children, including Bartholomew. Leonard Holzhauser practiced as a shoemaker. Young Bartholomew developed a great love for bookBook
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
s and an earnest desire to enter the sacred ministry.
At Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
, he was admitted to a free school for poor boys, earning his living by sing door to door and beg
Beg
Beg refers to:* Begging* Beg or Baig an alternative form of the Turkic title Bey . It is also used by Indian, Iranian, Afghan and Pakistani people....
ging. He fell sick of an epidemic
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
raging at that time. After his recovery, Bartholomew went home and for a time helped his father at work.
Education
He then continued his studies at NeuburgNeuburg
Neuburg can refer to:* Neuburg an der Donau, a town in the state of Bavaria, Germany* Neuburg an der Kammel, a town in the district of Günzburg, Bavaria, Germany* Neuburg am Inn, a town in the district of Passau, Bavaria, Germany...
and 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...
, with the aid of kind friends and the Jesuits in particular. His teachers were unanimous in praising his talents, his piety, and his modesty, and entertained great hopes of his usefulness in the service of the Church.
On July 9, 1636, he received the degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
of Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
, and then studied theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
, in which he merited the baccalaureate
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
on May 11, 1639. He was ordained into the priesthood by the Bishop of Eichstätt
Eichstätt
Eichstätt is a town in the federal state of Bavaria, Germany, and capital of the District of Eichstätt. It is located along the Altmühl River, at , and had a population of 13,078 in 2002. It is home to the Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, the lone Catholic university in Germany. The...
, and said his first Holy Mass on Pentecost
Pentecost
Pentecost is a prominent feast in the calendar of Ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the Law on Sinai, and also later in the Christian liturgical year commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ after the Resurrection of Jesus...
Sunday, June 12, 1639 in the Church of Our Lady of Victory, at Ingolstadt.
Priestly life
He exercised his priestly functions at this place for some time, and was soon much sought after as a confessorConfessor
-Confessor of the Faith:Its oldest use is to indicate a saint who has suffered persecution and torture for the faith, but not to the point of death. The term is still used in this way in the East. In Latin Christianity it has come to signify any saint, as well as those who have been declared...
. In the meantime he attended lectures at the university and was declared licentiate
Licentiate
Licentiate is the title of a person who holds an academic degree called a licence. The term may derive from the Latin licentia docendi, meaning permission to teach. The term may also derive from the Latin licentia ad practicandum, which signified someone who held a certificate of competence to...
of theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
on June 14, 1640. On August 1 of the same year, he came into the Archdiocese of Salzburg, and was made dean
Dean (religion)
A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church.-Anglican Communion:...
and pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of Tittmoning
Tittmoning
Tittmoning is a town in the district of Traunstein, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the border with Austria, on the left bank of the river Salzach, 38 km northwest of Salzburg. Population 6,151 . Postal code 84529....
.
On February 2, 1642, he became pastor of St John's at Leoggenthal, in the county of Tyrol
County of Tyrol
The County of Tyrol, Princely County from 1504, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1814 a province of the Austrian Empire and from 1867 a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary...
, at the behest of the Bishop of Chiemsee
Bishopric of Chiemsee
The Bishopric of Chiemsee was a Roman Catholic diocese based on the islands of the Chiemsee in Bavaria, Germany.-History of the Bishopric :...
.
In the spring of 1655, at the invitation of Archbishop Johann Philipp von Schönborn
Johann Philipp von Schönborn
Johann Philipp von Schönborn was the Archbishop-Elector of Mainz from 1647 until 1673, the Bishop of Würzburg from 1642 until 1673, and the Bishop of Worms from 1663 until 1673....
, he went to Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
where he was soon appointed pastor at Bingen
Bingen am Rhein
Bingen am Rhein is a town in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.The settlement’s original name was Bingium, a Celtic word that may have meant “hole in the rock”, a description of the shoal behind the Mäuseturm, known as the Binger Loch. Bingen was the starting point for the...
on the Rhine, and in 1657 dean of the district of Algesheim
Gau-Algesheim
Gau-Algesheim is a town in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde of Gau-Algesheim, a kind of collective municipality.- Location :...
.
He died at Bingen, in the spring of 1658, at the age of only forty-five. Many wonderful things are related of him, extraordinary cures and the like. On the occasion of the second centenary of his death, a great celebration was held at Bingen in the presence of the Bishop of Mainz
Bishop of Mainz
The Diocese of Mainz is a diocese of the Catholic church in Germany. It was created in 1802 with the abolition of the old Archbishopric of Mainz. The diocese is suffragan to the Archdiocese of Freiburg; its district is located in the states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse...
. The location of his remains was again found, and in 1880 a new monument was erected over his grave at the parish church. He was declared Venerable
Venerable
The Venerable is used as a style or epithet in several Christian churches. It is also the common English-language translation of a number of Buddhist titles.-Roman Catholic:...
by 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...
.
Founder of the Bartholomites
Bartholomew Holzhauser founded the BartholomitesBartholomites
Bartholomites is the name given to the Roman Catholic congregation of Armenian monks who sought refuge in Italy after the invasion of their country by the Sultan of Egypt in 1296.-History:...
, called United Brethren or officially Institutum clericorum sæcularium in communi viventium
Institutum clericorum saecularium in communi viventium
An Institutum clericorum saecularium in communi viventium is a secular institute for priests who want to live an apostolic life in community. It is a form of association within the Roman Catholic Church.They were called Bartholomites...
, also receiving the designation Communists in the aftermath of the Thirty Years War in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Because Faith
Faith
Faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing, or a belief that is not based on proof. In religion, faith is a belief in a transcendent reality, a religious teacher, a set of teachings or a Supreme Being. Generally speaking, it is offered as a means by which the truth of the proposition,...
had become lukewarm among the faithful, and morals and discipline had relaxed not only in the laity but also in the clergy, he decided to establish a new religious society as a remedy.
This would become a congregation known as the Apostolic Union of Secular Priests
Apostolic Union of Secular Priests
The Apostolic Union of Secular Priests is an association of Roman Catholic secular priests. It was founded in the seventeenth century by the Venerable Bartholomew Holzhauser. In 1903, Pope Pius X placed the union under his special protection. In 1913, it was reorganized in France by Canon Lebeurier....
. This order would lead an apostolic life in the community and become models of priestly perfection and zealous leaders of the people. Their principle task was to educate in the seminaries. The members of the secular congregation were expected to live in the seminaries, or in groups of two or three in the parishes, and to follow a set routine of daily prayers and exercises. Funds were to be in common, and all female servants were to be dismissed. No vows were to be taken, but a simple promise of obedience to the superior was to be made, confirmed by an oath.
Father Holzhauser first tried to establish such a community in the diocese of Eichstätt, but did not succeed. At Tittmoning
Tittmoning
Tittmoning is a town in the district of Traunstein, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the border with Austria, on the left bank of the river Salzach, 38 km northwest of Salzburg. Population 6,151 . Postal code 84529....
, encouraged by John Christopher von Lichtenstein, the Bishop of Chiemsee
Bishopric of Chiemsee
The Bishopric of Chiemsee was a Roman Catholic diocese based on the islands of the Chiemsee in Bavaria, Germany.-History of the Bishopric :...
, a suffragan and principal adviser of the Archbishop of Salzburg, he had made a good beginning. Priests joined from the diocese of Chiemsee and from other dioceses.
Holzhauser was a visionary, and made his visions public by presenting them in 1646 to Emperor Ferdinand III
Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand III was Holy Roman Emperor from 15 February 1637 until his death, as well as King of Hungary and Croatia, King of Bohemia and Archduke of Austria.-Life:...
and to Duke Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria
Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria
Maximilian I, Duke/Elector of Bavaria , called "the Great", was a Wittelsbach ruler of Bavaria and a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire. His reign was marked by the Thirty Years' War ....
. Ludwig Clarus published these visions, along with a commentary showing their partial fulfillment, in German, in 1849.
One of the prophetic visions concerned England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Holzhauser foresaw the execution of Charles I of England
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
and the complete ruin of the Church in that kingdom. He also foresaw that after the Holy Sacrifice had ceased for 120 years, England would be converted and do more for religion than it had done after its first conversion. This seems to have been fulfilled, for the prohibition of the Mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
under penalty of capital punishment was enacted in 1658, and partially recalled in 1778.
He also wrote a remarkable work on the last book of the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
, the Revelation
Revelation
In religion and theology, revelation is the revealing or disclosing, through active or passive communication with a supernatural or a divine entity...
or the Apocalypse
Apocalypse
An Apocalypse is a disclosure of something hidden from the majority of mankind in an era dominated by falsehood and misconception, i.e. the veil to be lifted. The Apocalypse of John is the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament...
, which today is still held in high regard by Roman Catholics. He interpreted the book of the Apocalypse as follows: The seven stars and the seven candlesticks seen by St John signify seven periods of the history of the Church, from its foundation to its consummation at the final judgment. To these periods correspond the seven churches of Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
, the seven days of the Mosaic record of creation, the seven ages before Christ, and the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost. Since, he claimed, all life is developed in seven stages, so God has fixed seven periods for regeneration.
The central features of this apocalyptic commentary, concerned the strong ruler, or the Grand Monarch
Great Catholic Monarch
The Great Catholic Monarch, also referred to as the Great Monarch, is a concept that has or had a certain place in unofficial Roman Catholic eschatology, mainly as a French monarchist variant of the medieval theme of the Last Roman Emperor...
, and the Holy Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
, a favorite subject of medieval prophecy, as well as the division of church history into seven periods.
At the death of Holzhauser, the community had members at Chiemsee
Chiemsee
Chiemsee is a freshwater lake in Bavaria, Germany, between Rosenheim, Germany, and Salzburg, Austria. It is often called the Bavarian Sea. The rivers Tiroler Achen and Prien flow into the lake; the river Alz, out of it...
, Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
, Freising
Freising
Freising is a town in Bavaria, Germany, and capital of the district Freising. Total population 48,500.The city is located north of Munich at the Isar river, near the Munich International Airport...
, Eichstätt, Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
, and Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
. The institute, however, made many enemies. At the end of the eighteenth century it became extinct, after having had 1595 members.
Literature
- Arneth, Michael, "Seelsorge am Seelsorger: Bartholomäus Holzhauser, 1613-1658, Leben und Werk," Trier: Burghard, 1993. ISBN 3-930161-01-X (German)