Karl Lehmann

Who is Karl Lehmann?

Karl Lehmann is a Cardinal of the Catholic Church, Bishop of Mainz and former Chairman of the Conference of the German Bishops, the highest representative post of the Catholic Church in Germany.

He was educated at the Seminary of Freiburg from 1957-1964. He went on to study in Rome at the Pontifical Gregorian University where he was awarded a doctorate in philosophy, summa cum laude in 1962, thesis: "Vom Ursprung und Sinn der Seinsfrage im Denken Martin Heideggers". He also studied for a doctorate in theology, summa cum laude, which he gain in 1967, thesis: "'Auferweckt am dritten Tag nach der Schrift' — Exegetische und fundamentaltheologische Studien zu 1 Kor 15,3b-5".

He was ordained to the priesthood on 10 October 1963 in Rome, by Cardinal Döpfner. After being awarded is PhD in philosophy he served as an Assistant of Fr. Karl Rahner, S.J., Münich at the Institute of Christian Thought and Religious Philosophy, 1964-1967; 1967-1968. Instructor of dogmatics and history of dogma at the University of Munich in 1967. Obtained the Habilitationsstipendium of the German Research Council in 1968.