Franziskus von Bettinger
Franziskus von Bettinger was a German Cardinal and Roman Catholic Archbishop of Munich from 1909 to 1917.Biography
Bettinger was born in Landstuhl in the Palatinate, the eldest of the six children of Franz Michael Bettinger, a blacksmith, and his wife, Maria Josephine Weber.
He studied philosophy, theology and canon law at the Lyceum of Speyer, the University of Innsbruck, the University of Würzburg, and the Seminary of Speyer. He was ordained to the priesthood August 17, 1873, in Speyer.
Bettinger held a number of pastoral posts in the diocese of Speyer: chaplain in Zweibrücken, 1873-1877; chaplain in Kaiserslautern, 1877-1878; cooperator in Reichenbach, 1878-1879; administrator, and later pastor and school inspector in Lambaheim, 1879-1888; pastor in Roxheim, 1888-1895.
In 1895 he was named a canon of the cathedral chapter and pastor of Speyer. In 1909 he was promoted to the office of dean of the cathedral chapter. Shortly afterwards he was ennobled by Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria; henceforth he had the surname von Bettinger.
On June 6, 1909 Bettinger was elected archbishop of Munich and Freising. He was ordained a bishop on August 15, 1909, in Münich, by Andreas Früwirth, Titular Archbishop of Eraclea, Nuncio to Bavaria.
In the consistory of May 24, 1914, Pope Pius X named Bettinger a cardinal. On May 28 he received the red hat and the title of Cardinal Priest of San Marcello. He participated in the 1914 conclave.
Bettinger died suddenly of a heart attack in Munich, aged 66. His remains are buried in the crypt of the cathedral.
