Katharina Zell
Encyclopedia
Katharina Zell née Schütz (Strasbourg
in 1497/98 – September 5, 1562) was a German
Protestant
writer during the Reformation
. She was wife of Matthias Zell/Matthäus Zell, one of the first priests to marry, and be excommunicated for marrying. After his death she continued his work. She defended the Protestantism of herself and her husband in Briefe an die ganze Bürgerschaft der Stadt Straßburg (1557) [Letter to the Entire Citizenry of the Town of Strasbourg].
Katherina Zell once scolded a minister for speaking harshly of another reformer. The minister responded by saying that she had, “disturbed the peace.” She answered his criticism sharply by saying:
“Do you call this disturbing the peace that instead of spending my time in frivolous amusements I have visited the plague-infested and carried out the dead? I have visited those in prison and under sentence of death. Often for three days and three nights I have neither eaten nor slept. I have never mounted the pulpit, but I have done more than any minister in visiting those in misery.”
Quote from Katharina Zell, when defending her equality by citing a bible verse when a critic used St. Paul to support his argument that women should remain silent in church: "I would remind you of the word of this same apostle that in Christ there is no male nor female." She helped feed and clothe thousands of refugees who flooded Strasbourg after their defeat in the Peasents' War.
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
in 1497/98 – September 5, 1562) 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...
Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
writer during the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
. She was wife of Matthias Zell/Matthäus Zell, one of the first priests to marry, and be excommunicated for marrying. After his death she continued his work. She defended the Protestantism of herself and her husband in Briefe an die ganze Bürgerschaft der Stadt Straßburg (1557) [Letter to the Entire Citizenry of the Town of Strasbourg].
Katherina Zell once scolded a minister for speaking harshly of another reformer. The minister responded by saying that she had, “disturbed the peace.” She answered his criticism sharply by saying:
“Do you call this disturbing the peace that instead of spending my time in frivolous amusements I have visited the plague-infested and carried out the dead? I have visited those in prison and under sentence of death. Often for three days and three nights I have neither eaten nor slept. I have never mounted the pulpit, but I have done more than any minister in visiting those in misery.”
Quote from Katharina Zell, when defending her equality by citing a bible verse when a critic used St. Paul to support his argument that women should remain silent in church: "I would remind you of the word of this same apostle that in Christ there is no male nor female." She helped feed and clothe thousands of refugees who flooded Strasbourg after their defeat in the Peasents' War.