{{short description|German cardinal of the Catholic Church}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}} {{Infobox Christian leader | type = Cardinal | honorific-prefix = [[His Eminence]] | name = Friedrich Wetter | honorific-suffix = | title = [[Cardinal (Catholic Church)|Cardinal]],<br />[[Archdiocese of Munich and Freising|Archbishop Emeritus of Munich and Freising]] | image = Kardinal Wetter 2008.jpg | image_size = | alt = Portrait photograph of Wetter | caption = | church = [[Catholic Church]] | archdiocese = Munich and Freising | province = | metropolis = | diocese = | see = Munich and Freising | appointed = 28 October 1982 | term_start = 12 December 1982 | quashed = | term_end = 2 February 2007 | predecessor = [[Joseph Ratzinger]] | opposed = | successor = [[Reinhard Marx]] | other_post = [[Santo Stefano Rotondo|Cardinal Priest of Santo Stephano in Coelio Monte]] (1985–) <!---------- Orders ----------> | ordination = 10 October 1953 | ordained_by = [[Clemente Micara]] | consecration = 29 June 1968 | consecrated_by = Isidor Markus Emanuel | cardinal = 25 May 1985 | created_cardinal_by = [[Pope John Paul II]] | rank = [[Cardinal-Priest]] <!---------- Personal details ----------> | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1928|2|20}} | birth_place = [[Landau]], Germany | death_date = | death_place = | buried = | religion = Catholic | residence = | parents = | occupation = | profession = | previous_post = {{unbulleted list|[[Bishop of Speyer]] (1968–82)|Apostolic Administrator of Munich and Freising (2007–2008)}} | alma_mater = {{unbulleted list|[[Sankt Georgen Graduate School of Philosophy and Theology]]|[[Pontifical Gregorian University]]}} | motto = ''{{lang|la|Pax Vobis}}''<br />("Peace to you") | signature = | signature_alt = | coat_of_arms = Coat of arms of Friedrich Wetter.svg | coat_of_arms_alt = | other = }} {{Infobox cardinalstyles| cardinal name=Friedrich Wetter| dipstyle=[[His Eminence]]| offstyle=Your Eminence| relstyle=[[Cardinal (Catholic Church)|Cardinal]]| See=Munich and Freising ([[emeritus]])| deathstyle=| image=Coat of arms of Friedrich Wetter.svg | image_size=100px|}}
'''Friedrich Wetter''' (born 20 February 1928) is a German [[Cardinal (Catholic Church)|cardinal]] of the [[Catholic Church]]. He was [[Archbishop]] of [[Archdiocese of Munich and Freising|Munich and Freising]], Germany, from 1982 to 2007. He was [[Bishop]] of [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Speyer|Speyer]] from 1968 to 1982. He has been a cardinal since 1985.
== Early life == Wetter was born on 20 February 1928. He studied first in [[Landau]] and then from 1948 to 1956 at the [[Sankt Georgen Graduate School of Philosophy and Theology]] and at the [[Gregorian University]] in Rome, where he obtained a doctorate in theology. In 1953, he was [[Holy orders|ordained]] a [[priest (Catholic Church)|priest]] in Rome by Cardinal [[Clemente Micara]].<ref name=BS>{{cite web | access-date = 27 December 2022 | language = de | url = https://www.bistum-speyer.de/news/nachrichtenansicht/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=6232 | website = Bistum Speyer | title = Kardinal Friedrich Wetter wird 90 Jahre |trans-title=Cardinal Friedrich Wetter turns 90| date = 16 February 2018}}</ref>
He was a chaplain in [[Speyer]] from 1956 to 1958 and taught at the seminary there from 1958 to 1960. He was assistant parish priest for a year in Glanmünchweiler, and then taught as Professor of Fundamental Theology in [[Eichstätt]] from 1962 to 1967 and as Professor of Dogmatic Theology at the [[Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz]] in 1967 for a year.<ref>{{cite news | url= http://www.br-online.de/br-alpha/alpha-forum/alpha-forum-friedrich-wetter-gespraech-ID1202307917933.xml | title = Kardinal Friedrich Wetter | url-status= dead |publisher = Bavarian Radio | language = de | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090624071500/http://www.br-online.de/br-alpha/alpha-forum/alpha-forum-friedrich-wetter-gespraech-ID1202307917933.xml | archive-date = 24 June 2009|date=6 February 2008}}</ref>
== Bishop and cardinal == On 28 May 1968, [[Pope Paul VI]] appointed him bishop of [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Speyer|Speyer]].<ref>{{cite book | url = https://www.vatican.va/archive/aas/documents/AAS-60-1968-ocr.pdf | page = 473 | title = Acta Apostolicae Sedis | date = 1968 | volume = LX | access-date = 27 December 2022 }}</ref> He received his episcopal consecration on 29 June<ref name=BS/> from Bishop Isidor Markus Emanuel, his predecessor in Speyer.
[[Pope John Paul II]] named him Archbishop of Munich and Freising on 28 October 1982<ref>{{cite book | url = https://www.vatican.va/archive/aas/documents/AAS-74-1982-ocr.pdf | page = 1301 | title = Acta Apostolicae Sedis | date = 1968 | volume = LXXIV | access-date = 27 December 2022 }}</ref> and he was installed there on 12 December.
While Archbishop of Munich and Freising, he chaired the Freising Bishops Conference and from 1981 to 2008 he chaired the faith commission of the [[German Bishops' Conference]].<ref>{{cite news | access-date = 27 December 2022 | language = de | date = 21 May 2015 | url = https://www.wochenanzeiger.de/article/163128.html | title = Ehemaliger Münchner Erzbischof feiert Jahrestag mit Festgottesdienst | work = Münchner Wochen Anzeiger }}</ref>
He was made a cardinal by Pope John Paul on 25 May 1985, with the title of [[Cardinal-Priest]] of [[Santo Stefano Rotondo]].
In October 2004 he protested that objections to the appointment of [[Rocco Buttiglione]] to the [[European Commission]] represented anti-Catholic bias, saying that Catholics like [[Konrad Adenauer]], [[Robert Schuman]], and [[Alcide de Gasperi]], founders of the European Union, would now be excluded from its leadership.<ref>{{cite news | language = de | url = https://www.merkur.de/politik/kardinal-protestiert-berufsverbot-christen-172855.html | access-date = 27 December 2022 | newspaper = [[Münchner Merkur]] | title = Kardinal protestiert: "Berufsverbot für Christen" | date = 28 October 2004 }}</ref> Buttiglione, a conservative Catholic nominated to handle issues of civil liberties and discrimination, had promised that his personal views would not interfere with his work, but members of the European parliament found his views on homosexuality and the proper role of women in society disqualifying.<ref>{{cite news | access-date = 28 December 2022 | publisher = BBC News | url = https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3734572.stm | date = 11 October 2004 | title = EU panel opposes justice nominee }}</ref>
He was one of the [[Cardinal electors in Papal conclave, 2005|cardinal electors]] who participated in the [[2005 papal conclave]] that elected [[Pope Benedict XVI]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2005/04/18/0225/00461.html |title=Elenco degli Em.mi Cardinali che entrano in Conclave secondo il loro rispettivo ordine di precedenza (Vescovi, Presbiteri, Diaconi) |date=18 April 2005 |website=[[Holy See Press Office|Sala Stampa della Santa Sede]] |language=it |trans-title=List of the Eminent Cardinals entering into Conclave according to their respective order of precedence (Bishops, Priests, Deacons) |access-date=27 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140309025237/https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2005/04/18/0225/00461.html |archive-date=9 March 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>
Pope Benedict accepted his resignation on 2 February 2007.<ref>{{cite press release|date=2 February 2007|url=https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2007/02/02/0056/00150.html | access-date = 6 June 2018 | language = it | publisher = Holy See Press Office | title = Rinunce e Nomine, 02.02.2007}}</ref> He continued there as apostolic administrator until the installation of [[Reinhard Marx]] as his successor on 2 February 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.erzbistum-muenchen.de/news/bistum/Nach-Annahme-des-Amtsverzichts-Kardinal-Wetter-zum-Apostolischen-Administrator-bestellt-17170.news|title=Nach Annahme des Amtsverzichts: Kardinal Wetter zum Apostolischen Administrator bestellt|work=Archdiocece of Munich and Freising|accessdate=14 September 2021|language=de}}</ref>
The January 2022 report on the handling of cases of sexual abuse on the part of priests in the Munich archdiocese accused Wetter of "mishandling" 21 cases during his tenure as archbishop and administrator. Wetter defended his actions in detail and disputed much of the report; he admitted fault in one case in particular that the report addressed at great length. He apologized for failing to listen to victims of abuse and recognizing how abuse affected them and their families.<ref>{{cite news | access-date = 28 December 2022 | publisher = Catholic News Agency | url = https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250210/munich-abuse-report-cardinal-wetter-apologizes-for-mishandling-of-case | title = Munich abuse report: Cardinal Wetter apologizes for mishandling case | date = 25 January 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | access-date = 28 December 2022 | url = https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/muenchen-missbrauch-skandal-wetter-1.5514736 | language = de | title = Kardinal Wetter bittet um Entschuldigung | date = 25 January 2022 | newspaper = Süddeutsche Zeitung }}</ref>
== Works (selected) == *Die ''[[trinity|Trinitätslehre]]'' des Johannes [[Duns Scotus]] (= Beiträge zur Geschichte der Philosophie und Theologie des Mittelalters, file 41, H. 5), Aschendorff, Münster 1967, (Thesis of Habilitation, [[University of Munich]], Munich, Theological Faculty, 28. Oktober 1965).
==See also== *[[Cardinals created by John Paul II]]
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == {{wikiquote}} {{commonscat}}
* {{cite web| access-date = 9 November 2017| title= Wetter Card. Friedrich |publisher= [[Holy See Press Office]] | url= https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_wetter_f.html | url-status=live | archive-date= 4 September 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170904062635/http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_wetter_f.html }} * {{cite web |title=Friedrich Cardinal Wetter |url=http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bwetter.html |website= Catholic Hierarchy }}
{{start box}} {{s-rel|ca}} {{s-bef|before=Isidor Markus Emanuel}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Roman Catholic Diocese of Speyer|Bishop of Speyer]]|years=28 May 1968 – 28 October 1982}} {{s-aft|after=[[Anton Schlembach]]}} {{s-break}} {{s-bef|before=[[Pope Benedict XVI|Joseph Ratzinger]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Archdiocese of Munich and Freising|Archbishop of Munich and Freising]]|years=28 October 1992 – 2 February 2007}} {{s-aft|after=[[Reinhard Marx]]}} {{s-break}} {{s-bef|before=[[József Mindszenty]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Santo Stefano al Monte Celio|Cardinal Priest of Santo Stefano al Monte Celio]]|years=25 May 1985 – present}} {{s-inc}} {{end box}}
{{Cardinals created by John Paul II}} {{Cardinals of the Catholic Church|state=collapsed}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wetter, Friedrich}} [[Category:1928 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Sankt Georgen Graduate School of Philosophy and Theology alumni]] [[Category:Academic staff of the University of Mainz]] [[Category:People from Landau]] [[Category:20th-century German cardinals]] [[Category:21st-century German cardinals]] [[Category:Pontifical Gregorian University alumni]] [[Category:Collegium Germanicum et Hungaricum alumni]] [[Category:Roman Catholic archbishops of Munich and Freising]] [[Category:Cardinals created by Pope John Paul II]] [[Category:Grand Crosses with Star and Sash of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany]] [[Category:Members of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts]] [[Category:Roman Catholic bishops of Speyer]] [[Category:Bishops appointed by Pope Paul VI]]