Moral Theology: Its Method and Masters
Johann Georg Reiffenstuel
Drawn from the authors' own words; every quotation links to its place.
Franciscan · 1641–1703
In the Index: Reiffenstuel
In Prümmer's Catalogue and Haringer's Index
- “Reiffenstuel, Anaclet., O.Min., German (1641-1703), wrote not only the classic work Ius canonicum universum, but also Theologia moralis, edited thirty times. The seventh edition, with additions by Massaeus Kresslinger, appeared at Modena 1745, in folio.” — Prümmer, Catalogue of authors
- [**: weighty, probabilist] “Reiffenstuel Anacletus, Bavarian, of the Order of Minors of St. Francis, celebrated canonist, cited rather often under the name Anacletus (Canon Law. Moral Theology), 18th century.” — Haringer's index of writers (Gury-Ballerini) (p. XXVII, sign read on the page)
His Moral System, as Our Authors Report It
Every report quoted in the author's own words and linked to its place; point at a name to see his words. Haringer's signs give St. Alphonsus's judgment as Haringer found it in St. Alphonsus's works (his notice, Gury-Ballerini, 1884, p. XI); a sign on a writer the 1884 editor added to the list is the editor's own, and is said to be his.
| Probabilist | |
|---|---|
| Counted among them by 2 of our authors | Prümmer, Manuale I, n. 342; Merkelbach, Summa II, excursus on the moral systems |
| “The edition issued by Flavianus Ricci a Cimbria (Augsburg 1777) makes Reiffenstuel a Probabiliorist. In reality he was a Probabilist”Koch-Preuss: an edition made him a probabiliorist, but in reality he was a probabilist | Koch-Preuss, Handbook I, history of moral theology |
| “Reiffenstuel Anacletus, Bavarian, of the Order of Minors of St. Francis, celebrated canonist, cited rather often under the name Anacletus (Canon Law. Moral Theology), 18th century.”Haringer marks him **, giving St. Alphonsus's judgment of him (weighty and probabilist) | Haringer's index, Index of writers, p. XXVII |
Where Our Authors Discuss Him
Each read in its full passage; the words quoted are the author's own. Where several authors say the same thing, one is quoted and the others follow “in nearly the same words”; point at a name to see his words.
| “For those heretics, deceitfully simulating great piety and a singular fervor for protecting moral science, brought it about that in France, Italy, and other provinces they drew many learned men to their side: among whom were also Peter Collet (the celebrated continuator of Honore Tournely), Louis Habert, and Natalis Alexander, who, although they rejected other errors of the Jansenists, nevertheless accommodated themselves in many things to their immoderate rigor. Indeed there were not lacking those who defended more benign opinions, such as Louis Abelly, Eusebius Amort, Castropalaus, Gobat, Roncaglia, Cardenas, Viva, Lacroix, Sporer, Reiffenstuel, Reuter, Voit, Holzmann, Elbel, Mazzotta, etc., without however being able wholly to repress the swelling rigor of doctrine.”Marc names him among those who defended more benign opinions against the rigor of the Jansenist age | Marc, Institutiones I, n. 6 |
| “but also a clear and solid Moral Theology” | Tanquerey, Fundamental Moral Theology, n. 52 |
| “Cf. Pirhing, Reiffenstuel, and Schmalzgrueber, places cited”Vermeersch: the canonists afterward used reasons like the theologians’ against usury | Vermeersch, Quaestiones de iustitia, n. 360 |
Works Our Authors Used
- Reiffenstuel, O.M.S.F., Jus canonicum universum, Venice, 1755. — Tanquerey's list
- Reiffenstuel, Anacletus, O. Min., 1641-1703, Jus Canonicum universum, Venice, 1755. — Tanquerey's list
In the Catholic Encyclopedia (1913)
“Johann Georg Reiffenstuel”, vol. 12, by Alphonse Van Hove. Public domain; transcription at New Advent (which expands some of the print's abbreviations).
In religion ANACLETUS
Theologian and canonist; b. at Kaltenbrunn (Tegernsee) 2 July, 1641; d. at Freising, 5 Oct., 1703.
He entered the Franciscan (Reformed) Order in the Province of Bavaria, 3 Nov., 1658, and taught philosophy at Freising (1665), Landshut (1667-68), and Munich. He taught theology at Munich from 1671 till 1680, when he became guardian of the convent of Weilheim (1680-83). Meanwhile he had been chosen (1677) definitor of his province. In 1683 he began to teach canon law at Freising to the members of his order and the seminarians of that town. Ill-health obliged him to discontinue this teaching. In 1692 the Bishop of Freising appointed him director of the episcopal educational establishments of the town, besides which he filled offices in his order. He also devoted himself to the organization and cataloguing of the episcopal and capitular library of Freising. It would be hard to praise unduly his learning, virtue, and regularity in his religious life; he enjoyed the confidence of everyone. He first published his "Theologia moralis" (Munich, 1692), which went through thirty editions, notably those of his fellow religious Massaeus Kresslinger (Modena, 1740; Munich, 1742), and Dalmatius Kickh (Augsburg, 1762), who appended "additions", and a treatise on the "Propositiones damnatae a summis pontificibus". An Antwerp edition (1743) includes the additions of Jacques Esteva on the Bull of the Crusades. The edition issued by Flavianus Ricci a Cimbria (Augsburg, 1777) modifies his doctrines: instead of the Probabilist which he was, he makes Reiffenstuel a Probabiliorist, in conformity with the official doctrine of his order. His "Jus canonicum universum" (Munich, 1700) accords Reiffenstuel first rank among canonists; he is equalled by none, and is highly esteemed even in modern times. Subsequent editions contain a "Tractatus de regulis juris", first published at Ingolstadt in 1733. The best editions are those of Venice (1730-1735), Rome (1831-32), Paris (1864). A three-volume editio compendiaria was published at Paris (1853). He is also the author of a "Vita S. Francisci Solani", and a work "De caeremoniis et ritibus ecclesiasticis".
Sources: OBERMAYR, Die Pfarrei Gmund und die Reiffenstuel (Innsbruck, 1868); GREIDERER, Germania Franciscana (Innsbruck, 1777); II, 393; Hist.-politisch. Blatter, II, 897-900 (Munich, 1873), LXXII, 590-93; HURTER, Nomenclator; SCHULTE, Gesch. der Quellen und Lit. des canonischen Rechts (Stuttgart, 1880), III, 154-55.