Alfons Maria Stickler

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Alfons Maria Stickler, SDB
Church positions
See Volsinium (Titular)
Title Archivist Emeritus of Vatican Secret Archives, Librarian Emeritus of Vatican Library
Period in office May 27, 1985—July 1, 1988
Successor Antonio María Javierre Ortas, SDB †
Previous post Pro-Archivist of Vatican Secret Archives, Pro-Librarian Emeritus of Vatican Library
Created cardinal May 25, 1985
Personal
Date of birth August 23, 1910
Place of birth Neunkirchen, Austria
Date of death December 12, 2007 (aged 97)
Place of death Vatican City
Styles of
Alfons Maria Stickler
Reference style His Eminence
Spoken style Your Eminence
Informal style Cardinal
See Volsinium (titular)


Alfons Maria Stickler, SDB, JCD (August 23, 1910 – December 12, 2007) was an Austrian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archivist of the Vatican Secret Archives and Librarian of the Vatican Library from 1985 to 1988. Stickler was elevated to the cardinalate in 1985, and was the oldest member of the College of Cardinals. A conservative, he was a strong supporter of the Tridentine Mass and clerical celibacy.

Contents

[edit] Biography

Stickler was born in Neunkirchen, near Vienna, as the second of twelve children. He entered the Salesians of Don Bosco in a German novitiate, and made his profession on August 15, 1928. Thereafter, Stickler studied philosophy in Germany and then in Austria, Turin, and Rome. He studied canon law at the Pontifical Athenaeum of S. Apollinare (from where he received his doctorate) and the Pontifical Lateran University, and was ordained to the priesthood on March 27, 1937. (Stickler studied with Stephan Kuttner, who lived to see his first pupil in the history of canon law become a cardinal.)

Stickler taught at the Salesian University as Professor of Canon Law and Church Legal History for eight years. From 1958 to 1966 he served as rector of the University, having previously served as Dean of the Canon Law Faculty since 1953. Stickler participated as a peritus, or expert, at the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), working as a member on the Commission for the Clergy, the Commission for the Liturgy, and (in his capacity as rector of the Salesian University) the commission directed by the Congregation for Seminaries and Universities. From the close of the Council until 1968, Stickler was president of the newly founded Institutum Altioris Latinitas.

On September 8, 1983, he was appointed Titular Archbishop of Volsinium, Pro-Librarian of the Vatican Library, and Pro-Archivist of the Vatican Secret Archives. Stickler received his episcopal consecration on the following November 1 from Pope John Paul II himself, with Archbishops Eduardo Martínez Somalo and Rosalio José Castillo Lara serving as co-consecrators, in the Sistine Chapel. He was created Cardinal Deacon of S. Giorgio in Velabro by John Paul II in the consistory of May 25, 1985, becoming full Librarian and Archivist two days later, on May 27.

Stickler served as Librarian and Archivist until his resignation on July 1, 1988. During his tenure he promoted the construction of underground storage for the conservation and consultation of all the codices and printed books of the library. He chose to be raised to the rank of Cardinal Priest (with the same title) on January 29, 1996, after spending ten years as a Cardinal Deacon.

Upon the death of Cardinal Johannes Willebrands on August 1, 2006, Stickler became the oldest living cardinal. In 2007, he celebrated the seventieth anniversary of his priestly ordination.

Stickler studied the history of canon law with Stephan Kuttner and published on that subject.

[edit] Support for Tradition

Stickler consistently defended the position that the Tridentine Mass was never forbidden or suppressed. He believed that the Novus Ordo Mass contradicted the true wishes of the Second Vatican Council[1], and once told the Latin Mass Society of England and Wales that its movement "has full legitimacy in the Church."[2]

In 1986, Pope John Paul II reportedly appointed nine cardinals (Stickler, Ratzinger, Mayer, Oddi, Casaroli, Gantin, Innocenti, Palazzini, and Tomko) to study the legal status of the Tridentine Mass, specifically whether Pope Paul VI authorized its suppression and whether a priest has the right to freely celebrate this Mass[3]. According to Stickler, all but one of the cardinals decided the Tridentine Mass was not forbidden, yet they unanimously agreed that no priest can be hindered from celebrating this Mass, even despite the orders of his bishop[4].

"The Case for Clerical Celibacy: Its Historical Development and Theological Foundations", written by Stickler, was published in 1995 by Ignatius Press. Its treats of the theological reasons and scriptural and magisterial roots of celibacy for Catholic priests.

[edit] References

  1. ^ These Last Days Ministries, Inc. Cardinal Alfons Stickler on the Changes in the Mass and Vatican II 1997
  2. ^ Latin Mass Society. Address by H.E. Cardinal Alfons Stickler June 20, 1992
  3. ^ Catholic Family News. Traditional Mass Never Forbidden February 1998
  4. ^ Latin Mass Magazine. Archbishop Lefebvre: Not Guilty May 5, 1995

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Johannes Willebrands		 Oldest living cardinal
1 August 2006 – 12 December 2007		 Succeeded by
Paul Mayer
Preceded by
Antonio Samoré		 Archivist of the Holy Roman Church
8 September 1983 - 1 July 1988		 Succeeded by
Antonio María Javierre Ortas