Placidus Böcken
Encyclopedia
Placidus Böcken (13 July 1690 – 9 February 1752) was a German Benedictine
canon lawyer, and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Salzburg
.
, in Bavaria
. He entered the Order of St. Benedict at an early age, made his religious profession at the Abbey of St. Peter, Salzburg, in 1706, and was ordained to the priesthood in 1713. Having been made a Doctor of Canon and Civil Law (1715), he was sent to Rome and on his return was chosen, in 1721, to succeed Benedict Schmier, as professor of canon law at the Benedictine University of Salzburg, where he remained for a period of twenty years.
He was also attached to the theological faculties of Salzburg and Fulda
, was secretary of the university, and an ecclesiastical councillor of four successive archbishops in the See of Salzburg and of the Prince-Abbot of Fulda. Eventually he appears to have incurred the displeasure of Archbishop Leopold of Salzburg, and in consequence of repeated friction resigned his position in 1741. He was then made pastor of Dornbach, a suburb of Vienna
, and, two years later, superior of Maria-Plain near Salzburg, where he spent the last nine years of his life as confessor to the many pilgrims.
.
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
canon lawyer, and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Salzburg
University of Salzburg
The University of Salzburg, or Paris Lodron University after its founder, the Prince Archbishop Paris Lodron, is located in the Austrian city of Salzburg, Salzburgerland, home of Mozart. It is divided into 4 faculties: catholic theology, law, humanities and natural science.Founded in 1622, it...
.
Life
Böcken was born in MunichMunich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, in Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
. He entered the Order of St. Benedict at an early age, made his religious profession at the Abbey of St. Peter, Salzburg, in 1706, and was ordained to the priesthood in 1713. Having been made a Doctor of Canon and Civil Law (1715), he was sent to Rome and on his return was chosen, in 1721, to succeed Benedict Schmier, as professor of canon law at the Benedictine University of Salzburg, where he remained for a period of twenty years.
He was also attached to the theological faculties of Salzburg and Fulda
Fulda
Fulda is a city in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the river Fulda and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district .- Early Middle Ages :...
, was secretary of the university, and an ecclesiastical councillor of four successive archbishops in the See of Salzburg and of the Prince-Abbot of Fulda. Eventually he appears to have incurred the displeasure of Archbishop Leopold of Salzburg, and in consequence of repeated friction resigned his position in 1741. He was then made pastor of Dornbach, a suburb of Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, and, two years later, superior of Maria-Plain near Salzburg, where he spent the last nine years of his life as confessor to the many pilgrims.
Works
The "Commentarius in Jus Canonicum universum" which Böcken published at Salzburg (1735–39), and dedicated to his friend and patron the Prince-Abbot of Fulda, is his major work. He had previously (1722–28) issued a number of separate treatises on the five books of the Decretals; these were updated in his larger work, to the third volume of which, in an appendix, he also added a lengthy disquisition "De praescriptionibus". A reprint of the "Commentarius" appeared at Paris in 1776.Theology
Böcken held rather extreme views on the subject of the veneration due the saints. He maintained that the special veneration and invocation of the saints, particularly of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is absolutely necessary for salvation. A sermon which he preached on this subject in 1740 precipitated an acrid discussion at the university between the members of the "Old School" and the "New School" of theology, between the Sycophantae and the Illuminati as they were called. The sermon appeared also in print, with annotations wherein Böcken characterized as erroneous the contrary opinion of MuratoriMuratori
Muratori is an Italian surname, and may refer to:* Ludovico Antonio Muratori - Italian historian .* Domenico Maria Muratori - Late Renaissance painter.* Saverio Muratori - Italian architect and urban theorist...
.