SENESTREY, IGNAZ VON

German archbishop, theologian; b. Bärnau, Upper Palatinate, July 13, 1818; d. Regensburg, Bavaria, Aug. 16, 1906. After studies at the German College in Rome, he was ordained (1842), became a lecturer on philosophy

at Eichstätt (1843), a curate in Munich (1845), a pastor at Kühbach (1847), a cathedral canon at Eichstätt (1853), and bishop of Regensburg (1858). He proved a strongwilled and energetic bishop who showed special concern for liturgical renewal; he completed construction of his cathedral by 1869. He also established two minor seminaries, supervised carefully the spiritual training of his clergy, and sought to strengthen Catholic life in the diaspora of Upper Franconia. He vigorously defended papal temporal power. At vatican council i he was a member of the commission on faith, and, along with manning, one of the most prominent members of the group striving for the definition of papal infallibility; he was one of the few German bishops who wanted this doctrine defined. In furtherance of his concepts of religious freedom and legitimate ecclesiastical spheres of influence he was sometimes unnecessarily sharp, and became involved in numerous controversies with the government, especially on educational matters and during the kulturkampf in Bavaria. Pius IX termed him "vir fortissimus," and Leo XIII granted him the archbishop's pallium (1892).

Bibliography: c. butler, The Vatican Council, 2 v. (New York 1930). l. hammermayer, Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, ed. j. hofer and k. rahner, 10 v. (2d, new ed. Freiburg 1957–65) 9:665–666.

[v. conzemius]