FREY, FRANZ ANDREAS. - German canonist and theologian, b. at Bamberg on 20 July 1763, d. there on 24 July 1820. Ordained priest on 13 March 1787 and licensed in theology the following year, he studied law at Bamberg and at Würzburg. A canon in 1791, from 1795 onward he was professor of canon law, with various other positions of trust at the University of Bamberg and, after this was suppressed, at the new lyceum of the same city, where he also taught Church history and dogmatic theology.
Having been attached at first to Febronian theories, he soon recovered himself, becoming before long, through his numerous writings, a formidable opponent of Josephinism and an intrepid defender of freedom of faith and conscience and of the independence of the Church from the State. In times of grave divergences he was, on this subject, a pioneering writer.
Principal works: Allgemeines Religions-Kirchenund Kirchenstaatsrecht aus Grundbegriffen entwickelt (Bamberg 1808); Kritischer Kommentar über das Kirchenrecht, frei bearbeitet nach A. Michl's Kirchenrecht für Katholiken und Protestanten (ibid. 1812-20). Some propositions of this work seem to reflect Febronian ideas. He also wrote: Genuina principia circa modum trattandi querelas et actiones ratione concordatorum (ibid. 1795); Bemerkungen über J. Ph. Gregel's Schrift: Das landesherrliche Patronat, (ibid. 1805); Abhandlung von dem Rechte der Staatsgewalt über das Kirchengut nach reinen Grundsätzen der Staatsrechts und der Staatswissenschaftslehre bearbeitet (ibid. 1805), etc.
Bibliography4 works
Zaccaria da San Mauro