HERIBERT HOLZAPFEL Historia Ordinis

HERIBERT HOLZAPFEL OFM

HISTORY OF THE FRANCISCAN ORDER

Original German edition Handbuch der Geschichte des Franziskanerordens, Freiburg 1909

Latin edition Manuale Historiae Ordinis fratrum Minorum, Friburgi Brisgoviae, Herder 1909

Translated into English by ANTONINE TIBESAR OFM and GERVASE BRINKMANN OFM

Introduction by NOEL MUSCAT OFM

Pro Manuscripto 1942 Digitized 2010

! Heribert Holzapfel: History of the Franciscan Order ______

Reproduced by kind permission of Fr. Maximilian Wagner ofm Minister Provincial Franciscan Province of St. Anthony of Padua, Bavaria, Germany

This electronic edition can be freely downloaded and is not for sale

2 Heribert Holzapfel: History of the Franciscan Order ______INTRODUCTION

One hundred years ago, in 1909, the Franciscan historian brother Heribert Holzapfel published the Handbuch der Geschichte des Franziskanerordens. He composed this manual of Franciscan history when Dionysius Schüler was Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor (1903-1911), on the occasion of the 700th anniversary of the foundation of the Order (1209-1909). Heribert Holzapfel was born in Neckarsulm in northern Baden-Württemberg near Stuttgart, Germany, on 22nd November 1868, feast day of Saint Cecilia. His baptismal name was Joseph. His father, a shoemaker died very early. His pious mother raised her five children solidly and religiously. As a young student Heribert attended the Gymnasium in Landshut. He finished it as a Franciscan student after 7 years. In the meantime he had been accepted in the Order of Friars Minor in the Franciscan Province of Bavaria, and entered the Novitiate house at Dietfurt, 38 kilometres west of Regensburg, on 1st October 1884. After the Gymnasium he was called for military service in the second infantry regiment in Munich as a volunteer for one year. Heribert then continued to study philosophy and theology in Tölz and Munich. He was ordained in 1891 in the cathedral of Freising by Archbishop Antonius von Thoma. After a short time of pastoral work in the friries of Mühldorf and Dingolfing he became a rector of the seminary in Landshut for three years. He was then guardian and director of the friary of Pfreim. In 1897 he began teaching theology for the Franciscan students in Tölz and then in Munich, where he continued to live after 1900. On 8th November 1902, feast day of Blessed John Duns Scotus, brother Heribert acquired his doctorate in theology. In the Bavarian Province brother Heribert occupied the post of master of clerics. For 12 years he belonged to the definitory, or council, of the Province. He was also responsible for canonical visitations of various provinces in the Order, including the provinces of Tyrol, Austria, Thuringia and Silesia. On 1st October 1934 Heribert celebrated his golden jubilee in the Franciscan Order. For more than half of his life brother Heribert lived in the Franziskanerkloster of St. Anna in Munich. All the friars who were ordained after 1897 had been formed by him. He was very active as a priest, confessor, retreat director, and he entered into dialogue with atheists and communists. Brother Heribert specialized in mediaeval studies. He published works on St. Dominic and the Rosary, the Manual on the History of the Franciscan Order, a study on the Portiuncula Indulgence, a historical study about the disputation regarding Rites in China, to name just a few of his many publications. From 1912 to 1918 brother Heribert was Minister Provincial of the Bavarian Province. It was a difficult period, because of the Great European War. Heribert took care to open the friaries for the care of wounded soldiers. Heribert Holzapfel died on 26th May 1936 in the clinic of Kopernicus house in Frauenburg, from an embolus after a car accident on the way to visit the bishop of