GIUSEPPINISMO. – The ecclesiastical policy of G. II may be summarized as the implementation of that system of jurisdictionalism which took its name from him, and which grants the State broad powers of control and supervision over the local organs of the Church. By virtue of this principle, among other measures, G. II suppressed all the Religious Orders that were not devoted to the care of the sick and to education. In pursuing this policy he encountered the opposition of Pius VI, which nevertheless remained without effect. With the “Edict of Toleration” of 1781 he granted freedom of worship to Protestants and Greek Orthodox (cf. also, for other aspects of “Giuseppinismo,” the entries: AUSTRIA, II: Storia del cristianesimo; GIURISDIZIONALISMO; REGALISMO; SEPARATISMO).
Josephinism
BIBL.: A. Fournier, Joseph II, Praga 1885; A. Wolf-H. von Zwiedeneck-Südenhorst, L'Austria ai tempi di Maria Teresa, G. II e Leopoldo II, Italian trans., Milano 1904; P. V. Mitrofanoff, Joseph II, Vienna 1910; P. Del Giudice, Storia del diritto italiano, Milano 1923, p. 30 ff.; F. M. Mayer-R. F. Kaindl-H. Pirchegger, Geschichte u. Kulturleber Deutschösterreichs, II, Vienna 1931, pp. 281-360; S. K. Padover, The revolutionary emperor Joseph II, Londra 1934; H. von Srbik, Deutsche Einheit, I, Monaco 1935, pp. 115-22, 136-39; E. Benedikt, Kaiser Joseph II, Vienna 1936, 2nd ed., there 1947; G. Soranzo, « Peregrinus apostolicus », Milano 1936, passim; M. C. Goodwin, The papal conflict with Josephinism, Nuova York 1938; E. Winter, Der Josephismus und seine Geschichte, Brünn-Monaco 1943. Cf. also R. Klins, L'attuazione della legislazione ecclesiastica di G. II nell'archidiocesi di Gorizia, Gorizia 1942. For further bibliography on G. II and his milieu cf. A. Novotny, Staatskanzler Kaunitz als geistige Persönlichkeit, Vienna 1947, p. 193 ff.; H. Hantsch, Die Geschichte Österreichs, II, Vienna 1950, pp. 229-26 (with bibliography). – For ecclesiastical policy, cf. also G. Grisar, De historia Ecclesiae catholicae Antinacae saec. XIX et de vita Principis - Episcopi Tridentini, ven. servi Dei Ioann. Nepomuceni de Tschiderer, quaestiones selectae, Roma 1936 (a study of great importance). Mario E. Viora
Cite this article
“GIUSEPPINISMO.” Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. VI (1951), p. 497. Azione Romana digital edition, https://azioneromana.com/article/giuseppinismo.