Joseph Wendel

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Styles of
Joseph Cardinal Wendel
Reference style His Eminence
Spoken style Your Eminence
Informal style Cardinal
See Munich and Freising


Joseph Cardinal Wendel (May 27, 1901—December 31, 1960) was a German prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Munich and Freising from 1952 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1953 by Pope Pius XII.

Contents

[edit] Biography

Joseph Wendel was born in Blieskastel, and studied at the seminary in Speyer, and the Pontifical German-Hungarian College and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. From the Gregorian he obtained doctorates in philosophy and theology. Wendel was ordained to the priesthood on October 30, 1927, and then did pastoral work in Speyer, also serving as director of Caritas, until 1941.

On April 4, 1941, he was appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Speyer and Titular Bishop of Lebessus. He received his episcopal consecration on the following June 29 from Bishop Ludwig Sebastian, with Bishops Matthias Ehrenfried and Joseph Kolb serving as co-consecrators. Wendel succeeded Sebastian as Bishop of Speyer on May 20, 1943, being installed on June 4 of that same year. During World War II, he strongly defended the rights of the Church and humanity[1]. Wendel became known as the "Bishop of Peace" following the war because of his efforts to restore West Germany's good will[2].

Pope Pius XII named him Archbishop of Munich and Freising on August 9, 1952, and created him Cardinal Priest of S. Maria Nuova in the consistory of January 12, 1953. On February 4, 1956, Wendel became the Apostolic Vicar of the Catholic Military Ordinariate of Germany. He was one of the cardinal electors in the 1958 papal conclave, which selected Pope John XXIII. The German prelate also made gestures of ecumenism to Protestants[3], and organized the International Eucharistic Congress in Munich in 1960.

Shortly after delievering his New Year's Eve sermon, Wendel died from a heart attack in Munich, at age 59[4]. He is buried in the metropolitan cathedral of that same city.

[edit] Trivia

[edit] References

  1. ^ Archdiocese of Munich and Freising. Joseph Kardinal Wendel (1901-1960)
  2. ^ TIME Magazine. Milestones January 13, 1961
  3. ^ TIME Magazine. Chasms & Bridges August 24, 1959
  4. ^ TIME Magazine. Milestones January 13, 1961

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Ludwig Sebastian		 Bishop of Speyer
1943–1952		 Succeeded by
Isidor Emanuel
Preceded by
Michael Cardinal von Faulhaber		 Archbishop of Munich and Freising
1952–1960		 Succeeded by
Julius Cardinal Döpfner