The contribution of German Catholicism

The author discusses the main events of Catholic progress in Germany from 1800 through 1918, emphasizing the cultural and intellectual milieux rather than political events. This independent development of the Church in Germany, which began with the French Revolution, forms a vital chapter in the history of the universal Church. As the author states, "the German Church showed its continued vitality by recognizing the cultural revolution as the necessary preliminary to fulfilling its mission. Where the Church of France settled into reaction, the Church of Germany experienced a spiritual and intellectual renaissance because it was independent of the relations of Church and state." The important historical figures and their contributions to this singular yet far-reaching change are treated thoroughly and cogently. Events such as the Kulturkampf, the Syllabus of Errors, the influence of the Romantics, and the famous Munich Congress of 1863 are analyzed in detail. The final section deals with the early twentieth century and shows how the traditional unity within the German Church was to be transformed into a new organic unity.