# Paul Augustin Mayer

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German Cardinal

Paul Augustin Mayer, Cardinal Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments Other posts Abbot of St. Michael's Abbey, Metten (1966–1971) Titular Archbishop of Satrianum (1972–1985), and Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (1985–1988) Orders Ordination 25 August 1935 Consecration 13 February 1972 Created cardinal 25 May 1985 (Cardinal deacon); 29 January 1996 (Cardinal priest) Personal details Born Paul Augustin Mayer (1911-05-23)23 May 1911 Altötting, Kingdom of Bavaria (now Germany) Died 30 April 2010(2010-04-30) (aged 98) Rome, Italy Coat of arms

**Paul Augustin Mayer**, [OSB](/source/Order_of_Saint_Benedict) (23 May 1911 – 30 April 2010) was a German [Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church](/source/Cardinal_(Catholicism)). He held various positions in the [Roman Curia](/source/Roman_Curia) from 1971 to 1991.

## Biography

Mayer was born in [Altötting](/source/Alt%C3%B6tting), Germany, one of three children of Royal Bavarian General Ludwig Mayer and his wife Meta Hoeness. He was the nephew of Württemberg President [Eugen Bolz](/source/Eugen_Bolz).

After graduating from the Metten high school, Mayer joined the [Order of Saint Benedict](/source/Order_of_Saint_Benedict) at the [Abbey of St. Michael, Metten](/source/Metten_Abbey), taking the name of Augustin.[1] He had his monastic profession on 17 May 1931. He studied at the [University of Salzburg](/source/University_of_Salzburg) and at the [Pontifical Athenaeum of Sant Anselmo](/source/Pontificio_Ateneo_Sant_Anselmo) in Rome, where he received his doctorate in theology on the writings of [Clement of Alexandria](/source/Clement_of_Alexandria).[2]

He was ordained a Priest on 25 August 1935. After his ordination he was a faculty member at the abbey of Saint Michael from 1937 until 1939. He taught at the Pontifical Roman Athenaeum of Sant Anselmo from 1939 until 1966, serving as its [rector](/source/Rector_(academia)) from 1949 until 1966. As rector he founded the Pontifical Liturgical Institute.[1]

He was the Apostolic visitor to the Swiss seminaries from 1957 until 1959. He served as Secretary of the Preparatory Commission of the [Second Vatican Council](/source/Second_Vatican_Council) from 1960 until 1962. The decree he oversaw on the formation of priests was the only Council document to be approved by the Council Fathers in the first reading. He was elected abbot of St. Michael's Abbey, Metten, Bavaria on 3 November 1966.[1] He received the abbatial blessing from Rudolf Graber, [bishop of Regensburg](/source/Bishop_of_Regensburg). In 1968 became the abbot-president of the [Bavarian Benedictine Congregation](/source/Bavarian_Congregation), and in 1970 president of the Salzburg Conference of Abbots, positions he held until 1971.

## Episcopate

He was appointed Secretary of the [Congregation for Religious and Secular Institutes](/source/Dicastery_for_Institutes_of_Consecrated_Life_and_Societies_of_Apostolic_Life) on 8 September 1971. As secretary he was appointed [titular archbishop](/source/Titular_archbishop) of [Satrianum](/source/Satrianum) by [Pope Paul VI](/source/Pope_Paul_VI) on 6 January 1972 and was consecrated on 13 February by Pope Paul,[2] assisted by [Bernardus Johannes Alfrink](/source/Bernardus_Johannes_Alfrink), Cardinal [Archbishop of Utrecht](/source/Roman_Catholic_Archdiocese_of_Utrecht), and [William Conway](/source/William_Conway_(cardinal)), Cardinal [Archbishop of Armagh](/source/Archbishop_of_Armagh).[3] [Pope John Paul II](/source/Pope_John_Paul_II) named him [Pro](/source/Promagistrate)-Prefect of the [Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments](/source/Congregation_for_Divine_Worship_and_the_Discipline_of_the_Sacraments) on 8 April 1984. During his tenure, the congregation was divided into two, the Congregation of the Sacraments and the Congregation for Divine Worship. (They were united again in 1988 under the Apostolic Constitution *Pastor Bonus*.)

## Cardinalate

He was created and proclaimed [Cardinal-Deacon](/source/Cardinal-Deacon) of [Sant'Anselmo all'Aventino](/source/Sant'Anselmo_all'Aventino) in the [consistory](/source/Papal_consistory) of 25 May 1985. He was named full Prefect of the Congregation two days later. He presided over the unification of two distinct congregations, the Congregation of the Sacraments and the Congregation for Divine Worship that were united under one name from 1988 on. He resigned the prefecture on 1 July 1988. He was appointed the first President of the [Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei](/source/Pontifical_Commission_Ecclesia_Dei) the next day.[2] He lost the right to participate in a [conclave](/source/Papal_conclave) when turned 80 years of age in 1991. He resigned the presidency on 1 July 1991. He opted for the order of cardinal priests and his deaconry was elevated [pro hac vice](/source/Pro_hac_vice) to title on 29 January 1996.[4]

Mayer was the oldest living Cardinal from 2007 to his death. He died on 30 April 2010 in Rome. He was buried at St. Michael's Abbey, Metten.

In 2009, the Saint Benedict Education Foundation announced the establishment of the Paul Augustin Cardinal Mayer, O.S.B., Chair in Sacramental Theology at Sant Anselmo.[5]

## Awards

- [Bavarian Order of Merit](/source/Bavarian_Order_of_Merit)

- [Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany](/source/Order_of_Merit_of_the_Federal_Republic_of_Germany)[6]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-holysee_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-holysee_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-holysee_1-2) ["Mayer, Card. Paul Augustin, O.S.B.", Holy See](https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/documentation/cardinali_biografie/cardinali_bio_mayer_pa.html)

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-homily_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-homily_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-homily_2-2) [Pope Benedict XVI. "Homily for the Funeral Mass for Cardinal Paul Augustin Mayer O.S.B.", May 3, 2010, Libreria Editrice Vaticana](https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/homilies/2010/documents/hf_ben-xvi_hom_20100503_esequie-mayer.html)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [Satrianum (Titular See)](http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/d2s35.html). *Catholic-Hierarchy*. Retrieved 18 December 2009. [*[self-published source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability#Self-published_sources)*]

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [Lentz III, Harris M., *Popes and Cardinals of the 20th Century: A Biographical Dictionary*, McFarland, 2015, p. 122](https://books.google.com/books?id=ongwCgAAQBAJ&dq=Paul+Augustin+Mayer&pg=PA122) [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781476621555](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781476621555)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Paul Augustin Cardinal Mayer, O.S.B. Chair in Sacramental Theology", The Saint Benedict Education Foundation, July 19, 2009](https://stbenedictfoundation.org/2009/07/19/paul-augustin-cardinal-mayer-o-s-b-chair-in-sacramental-theology/)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Cardinal Augustine Mayer", St. Michael's Abbey, Metten](https://www-kloster--metten-de.translate.goog/?page_id=145&_x_tr_sch=http&_x_tr_sl=de&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc)

## External links

- Media related to [Paul Augustin Mayer](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Paul_Augustin_Mayer) at Wikimedia Commons

- Quotations related to [Paul Augustin Mayer](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Special:Search/Paul_Augustin_Mayer) at Wikiquote

Catholic Church titles Preceded by Ramon Iglesias i Navarri Titular Archbishop of Satrianum 6 January 1972 – 25 May 1985 Succeeded by Patrick Coveney Preceded by Giuseppe Casoria Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments 8 April 1984 – 1 July 1988 Succeeded by Eduardo Martínez Somalo Preceded by Inaugural appointment President of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei 2 July 1988 – 1 July 1991 Succeeded by Antonio Innocenti Records Preceded by Alfons Maria Stickler Oldest living Member of the Sacred College 12 December 2007 – 30 April 2010 Succeeded by Ersilio Tonini

v t e Cardinals created by John Paul II 1979 Casaroli Caprio Cé Righi-Lambertini Căn Civardi Corripio y Ahumada Asajiro Satowaki Etchegaray Ballestrero Ó Fiaich Carter Macharski Rubin Kung Pin-mei 1983 Khoraish Yago Sabattani Kuharić Casoria Lebrún Moratinos Bernardin Kitbunchu do Nascimento López Trujillo Danneels Williams Martini Lustiger Glemp Vaivods Meisner de Lubac 1985 Dadaglio Lourdusamy Arinze Fresno Innocenti Obando y Bravo Mayer Suquía Goicoechea Hamer Vidal Gulbinowicz Tzadua Tomko Lubachivsky Deskur Poupard Vachon Decourtray Castillo Lara Wetter Piovanelli Simonis Gagnon Stickler Law O'Connor Biffi Pavan 1988 Martínez Somalo Silvestrini Felici Grégoire Padiyara Freire Falcão Giordano dos Santos Canestri Javierre Ortas Pimenta Revollo Bravo Clancy Moreira Neves Hickey Szoka Paskai Tumi Groër Martin Hensbach Sladkevičius Margéot Wu 1991 Sodano Todea Laghi Cassidy Coffy Etsou-Nzabi-Bamungwabi López Rodríguez Sanchez Noè Quarracino Angelini Mahony Posadas Ocampo Bevilacqua Saldarini Daly Ruini Korec Schwery Sterzinsky del Mestri Dezza 1994 Sfeir Vlk Poggi Shirayanagi Fagiolo Furno Oviedo Cavada Winning Suárez Rivera Ortega y Calamino Darmaatmadja Schotte Eyt Agustoni Wamala Keeler Vargas Alzamora Turcotte Carles Gordó Maida Puljić Razafindratandra Tụng Sandoval Íñiguez Echeverría Ruiz Świątek Tonini Koliqi Congar Grillmeier 1998 Medina Estévez Bovone Castrillón Hoyos Antonelli Stafford De Giorgi Fernandes de Araújo Rouco Varela Ambrozic Balland Tettamanzi Pengo Schönborn Rivera Carrera George Shan Kuo-hsi Kozłowiecki Cheli Colasuonno Monduzzi Jaworski Pujats 2001 Re Thuận Cacciavillan Sebastiani Grocholewski Saraiva Martins Sepe Mejía Daoud Pompedda Kasper Degenhardt González Zumárraga Dias Majella Agnelo Rubiano Sáenz McCarrick Connell Bačkis Errázuriz Ossa Terrazas Sandoval Napier Rodríguez Maradiaga Agré Billé Velasco Cipriani Thorne Álvarez Martínez Hummes Vithayathil Bergoglio Policarpo Poletto Murphy-O'Connor Egan Huzar Lehmann Ghattas Honoré Tucci Scheffczyk Dulles 2003 Tauran Martino Marchisano Herranz Casado Lozano Barragán Hamao Nicora Scola Okogie Panafieu Zubeir Wako Amigo Vallejo Rigali O'Brien Scheid Antonelli Bertone Turkson Toppo Pell Bozanić Mẫn Quezada Toruño Barbarin Erdő Ouellet Cottier Joos Špidlík Nagy Catholic Church portal

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