Maximilian Aichern
Encyclopedia
Maximilian Aichen OSB
(December 26, 1932 in Vienna
) is an Austrian Roman Catholic
bishop who was the ordinary of the diocese of Linz from 1982 to 2005.
respectively. In 1954, he joined the Benedictine Monastery of St. Lambrecht in Styria. He subsequently studied in Salzburg
and Pontifical Athenaeum Sant'Anselmo in Rome
.
He was ordinaed in 1959 and was initially chaplain in St. Lambrecht and religion teacher in the local vocational school in Murau. In 1964, he abbot Koadjutor and of 24 February 1977 until 16 January 1982, he was Abbot
of the monastery of St. Lambrecht. From 1978 to 1981 he was also Abbot President of the Austrian Benedictine Congregation
.
In May 1981, he was informed that he was nominated as Bishop of Linz. Aichen rejected this office several times and only gave its approval in December. On 15 December 1981 the Pope appointed him official successor of Franz Zauner. Cardinal Franz König
gave him the episcopal consecration in the Conception Cathedral in Linz on 17 January 1982.
His motto was: "In Caritat serve" (in German: In love serve). He was considered a "social Bishop of Austria." Within the Episcopal Conference
, he was responsible for social and political issues. The working world or the sunday rest were particular concerns for him. Under his leadership in 1990, the bishops drafted a Social pastoral letter of the Catholic bishops of Austria
. Also in was involves in drafting a document on the social word of the Ecumenical Council of Churches in Austria, which was published in 2003.
In the first ten years after his inauguration, he visited all 485 official parish
es of the diocese as a bishop. In 2005, he surprisingly announced his resignation for reasons of age, which on 18 may Pope Benedict XVI accepted. Thereafter, he remained at the request of the Pope for the inauguration of his successor Ludwig Schwarz
.
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
(December 26, 1932 in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
) is an Austrian Roman Catholic
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...
bishop who was the ordinary of the diocese of Linz from 1982 to 2005.
Life
The son of Max († 1980) and Franziska († 1998) Aicher, he was born in Vienna. He attended grammar school and graduated there in 1951 schoolSchool
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
respectively. In 1954, he joined the Benedictine Monastery of St. Lambrecht in Styria. He subsequently studied in 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...
and Pontifical Athenaeum Sant'Anselmo in 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...
.
He was ordinaed in 1959 and was initially chaplain in St. Lambrecht and religion teacher in the local vocational school in Murau. In 1964, he abbot Koadjutor and of 24 February 1977 until 16 January 1982, he was Abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
of the monastery of St. Lambrecht. From 1978 to 1981 he was also Abbot President of the Austrian Benedictine Congregation
Austrian Congregation
The Austrian Congregation is a congregation of Benedictine monasteries situated in Austria, within the Benedictine Confederation.-History:The Congregation was founded on 3 August 1625 by Pope Urban VIII, and consisted of eleven Benedictine monasteries in Austria:*Altenburg Abbey*Garsten...
.
In May 1981, he was informed that he was nominated as Bishop of Linz. Aichen rejected this office several times and only gave its approval in December. On 15 December 1981 the Pope appointed him official successor of Franz Zauner. Cardinal Franz König
Franz König
Franz König was an Austrian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Vienna from 1956 to 1985, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1958...
gave him the episcopal consecration in the Conception Cathedral in Linz on 17 January 1982.
His motto was: "In Caritat serve" (in German: In love serve). He was considered a "social Bishop of Austria." Within the Episcopal Conference
Episcopal Conference
In the Roman Catholic Church, an Episcopal Conference, Conference of Bishops, or National Conference of Bishops is an official assembly of all the bishops of a given territory...
, he was responsible for social and political issues. The working world or the sunday rest were particular concerns for him. Under his leadership in 1990, the bishops drafted a Social pastoral letter of the Catholic bishops of Austria
Pastoral letter
A Pastoral letter, often called simply a pastoral, is an open letter addressed by a bishop to the clergy or laity of his diocese, or to both, containing either general admonition, instruction or consolation, or directions for behaviour in particular circumstances...
. Also in was involves in drafting a document on the social word of the Ecumenical Council of Churches in Austria, which was published in 2003.
In the first ten years after his inauguration, he visited all 485 official parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
es of the diocese as a bishop. In 2005, he surprisingly announced his resignation for reasons of age, which on 18 may Pope Benedict XVI accepted. Thereafter, he remained at the request of the Pope for the inauguration of his successor Ludwig Schwarz
Ludwig Schwarz
Ludwig Schwarz, S.D.B. is the Roman Catholic bishop of the Diocese of Linz, Austria.-Life:Ludwig Schwarz was the first of nine children and grew up in Most pri Bratislave. After the expulsion of his family from Slovakia in 1945, he arrived in Vienna, where he attended primary school...
.
Criticism
Groups within the diocese of Linz had criticized the bishop for allegedly violating liturgical norms set forth by the Holy See. They complained about him in Rome. ".Works
- Churches and chapels in the parishes of the Diocese of Linz. An artistic, historical and pastoral documentation. Bischöfl. Ordinariate, Linz 2001, ISBN 3-902195-00-2
Awards
- 2005 Great Golden Medal of Upper Austria]]
- 2008 Erwin-Wenzl Award: Honorary Award for Lifetime Achievement
Literature
- Christine Haiden:Maximilianstraße Aichen. Bishop with the people. Trauner, Linz 2005, ISBN 3-85487-847-8
- Peter Hofer:Attentive solidarity. Festschrift for Bishop Maximilian Aichen the seventieth birthday. Pustet, Regensburg 2002, ISBN 3-7917-1846-0