Helmut Friedbert Richard Siegfried Echternach (March 20, 1907 –
February 25, 1988) was a German

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 Lutheran theologian and pastor

Pastor

The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....

, and one of the leaders of the Lutheran High Church Movement

High Church Lutheranism

"High Church Lutheranism" is the name given in Europe for the 20th century Lutheran movement that emphasizes worship practices and doctrines that are similar to those found within both Roman Catholicism and the Anglo-Catholic wing of Anglicanism...

 in Germany.

Born in Waltersdorf, Heiligenbeil District, East Prussia

East Prussia

East Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. The capital city was Königsberg.East Prussia...

 (now Pęciszewo

Peciszewo

Pęciszewo is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Braniewo, within Braniewo County, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, in northern Poland, close to the border with the Kaliningrad Oblast of Russia...

, Gmina Braniewo

Gmina Braniewo

Gmina Braniewo is a rural gmina in Braniewo County, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, in northern Poland, on the border with Russia...

, Braniewo County

Braniewo County

Braniewo County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, northern Poland, on the border with Russia. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat and largest...

, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship

Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship

Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, or Warmia-Masuria Province , is a voivodeship in northeastern Poland. Its capital and largest city is Olsztyn...

), as the son of a pastor, Echternach attended school and university in Königsberg

University of Königsberg

The University of Königsberg was the university of Königsberg in East Prussia. It was founded in 1544 as second Protestant academy by Duke Albert of Prussia, and was commonly known as the Albertina....

, graduating with the degree of the Licentiate in Theology

Licentiate in Theology

The Licentiate of Theology or the Licence in Theology is a theological qualification commonly awarded for ordinands and laymen studying theology in the United Kingdom, Malta, Canada, Australia and New Zealand...

. He was ordained in Stettin in 1932.

After World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, Echternach moved to Hamburg

Hamburg

-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...

 and was called to be the pastor at
St. Matthew's Church, Hamburg

St. Matthew's Church, Hamburg

St. Matthew's Church in Winterhude, Hamburg, is a brick Lutheran church built from 1910 to 1912 in the baroque style.The church is adorned with the colorful windows of Charles Crodel, who also made the stained-glass windows for the main church of St. James's and for St. Mary's Church in...

 in 1946. One year later he founded an ecumenical discussion group within the Evangelische Akademie Hamburg for dialogue among Roman Catholic

Roman Catholic Church

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

, Lutheran

Lutheranism

Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...

 and Orthodox

Eastern Orthodox Church

The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...

 Christians. He also taught theology at the Kirchliche Hochschule Hamburg. In 1957 he was called to be the pastor of St. Petri church

St. Petri, Hamburg

The St. Peter's Church ] in Hamburg was built on top of many churches. It was built by order of Pope Leo the Tenth.-History:...

 in Hamburg.

Together with W. Michaelis, Echternach inaugurated the St. Ansgar vespers

Vespers

Vespers is the evening prayer service in the Western Catholic, Eastern Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran liturgies of the canonical hours...

, a form of Lutheran high church liturgical celebrations, in 1965, which have become quite famous. One year later Echternach founded the "Brotherhood of St. Athanasius", a religious High Church

High Church Lutheranism

"High Church Lutheranism" is the name given in Europe for the 20th century Lutheran movement that emphasizes worship practices and doctrines that are similar to those found within both Roman Catholicism and the Anglo-Catholic wing of Anglicanism...

 society of men, which regards Holy Orders

Holy Orders

The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....

 and Apostolic Succession

Apostolic Succession

Apostolic succession is a doctrine, held by some Christian denominations, which asserts that the chosen successors of the Twelve Apostles, from the first century to the present day, have inherited the spiritual, ecclesiastical and sacramental authority, power, and responsibility that were...

 essential to the Church.

On October 18, 1966 Echternach was consecrated to the holy order of episcopate by a bishop in apostolic succession

Apostolic Succession

Apostolic succession is a doctrine, held by some Christian denominations, which asserts that the chosen successors of the Twelve Apostles, from the first century to the present day, have inherited the spiritual, ecclesiastical and sacramental authority, power, and responsibility that were...

. He chose as his episcopal name Ignatius V (cf. Friedrich Heiler

Friedrich Heiler

Friedrich Heiler was a German theologian and historian of religion.Heiler came from a Roman Catholic family...

). He was called as professor of systematic theology at the Université Européenne in Amsterdam

Amsterdam

Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...

on August 1, 1970, and retired from active ministry in 1973. He died in Hamburg.

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