Maurus von Schenkl

Maurus von Schenkl

Benedictine theologian and canonist, b. at Auerbach in Bavaria, 4 January 1749; d. at Amberg, 14 June, 1816. After studying the humanities at the Jesuit college in Amberg (1760-1765), he entered the Benedictine monastery of Prüfening (Priefling) near Ratisbon, took vows on 2 Oct. 1768, and was ordained priest on 27 Sept., 1772. From 1772-7 he held various offices at his monastery; in 1777 he was at first oeconomus at Puch, then pastor at Gelgenbach; from 1778-83 he taught dogmatic, moral and pastoral theology and canon law at the Benedictine monastery of Weltenburg; in 1783 he became librarian at Prüfening where he at the same time taught canon law till 1785, then moral theology till 1790, when with his abbot's consent he accepted a position as professor of canon law, moral, and pastoral theology at the lyceum of Amberg. With his professorial duties was connected the regency of the seminary and, after declining an offer to succeed his confrère, Bede Aschenbrenner, as professor of canon law at the University of Ingolstadt in 1793; he was also appointed rector of the school at Amberg in 1794. Upon his urgent request he was relieved of the rectorship in 1798 and, after refusing another offer as professor of canon law at Aschaffenburg in 1804; he was honored with the title of spiritual councillor of the king. Owing to ill-health he resigned the regency of the seminary and after 1808 he taught only canon law and pastoral theology. He was highly esteemed as a theologian and canonist, and his works were used as texts in many institutions of Germany and Austria. His chief works are (1) "Juris ecclesiastici statu Germaniae maxime et Bavariae adcommodati syntagma" (Ratisbon, 1785). When interpolated editions of this work were published (Cologne, 1787, and Bonn, 1789), he re-edited it under the title "Institutiones juris eccl. etc." (2 vols., Ingolstadt, 1790-1), but it was again reprinted without his consent (Bonn, 1793, and Cologne, 1794). The latest (11th) edition was prepared by Engelmann (Ratisbon, 1853). (2) "Ethica christiana universalis" (3 vols., Ingolstadt 1800-1, 5th ed., Gran, 1830). (3) "Theologiae pastoralis systema" (Ingolstadt, 1815-25).

LINDNER, Die Schriftsteller des Benediktiner-Ordens in Bayern, 1750-1780, I, (Ratisbon, 1880), 250-2; HELDMANN, Memoria Mauri de Schenkl (Ratisbon, 1832); FELDER, Gelehrten-Lexikon II, 277-282.

MICHAEL OTT