Author: Ronge, Johannes [1813-1887]
Title: An die niedere katholische Geistlichkeit
Description: Altenburg, Schnuphase, 1845. 2. Auflage. 22x12cm, 14 pp.. Without wrappers (as issued?). Foxed. Cover label. Good. ¶ A tract issued by Johannes Ronge (1813-1887), founder of the New Catholic movement (later known as 'Deutschkatholiken'). ["Ronge, a Roman Catholic priest in Silesia, published a vigorous attack upon Wilhelm Arnoldi, bishop of Trier ...for having ordered...the exposition of the alleged seamless robe of Jesus, an event which drew countless pilgrims to the cathedral. The Bishop had proclaimed that the artifact had healing powers....The article made a great sensation, & led to Ronge’s excommunication by the chapter of Breslau in December 1844. The ex-priest received a large amount of public sympathy, & a dissenting congregation calling itself the "New Catholics" was almost immediately formed at Breslau. Within less than a year, the group grew to over 8,000 members. The Bible was made the sole rule, barring all external (papal) authority. Within a few weeks similar communities were formed at Leipzig, Dresden, Berlin, Offenbach, Worms, Wiesbaden and several other locations...Ronge organized the "New Catholics" as a principally democratic organization.... the use of the name German Catholics was officially prohibited...in Prussia, Baden and Saxony the adherents of the new creed were laid under various disabilities,being suspected both of undermining religion and of encouraging the revolutionary tendencies of the age. Ronge himself was a foremost figure in the troubles of 1848..." - wikipedia].

Keywords: German Church History, Germany, 1848 Revolution, Catholic Church, Deutschkatholiken, Theology, , ,