STERCKX, ENGELBERT. - Cardinal, archbishop of Malines, b. 2 Nov. 1792 at Ophem, d. 4 Dec. 1867 at Malines. Ordained priest in 1815, he taught philosophy and moral theology at Malines, then was a parish priest, vicar general, from 1832 archbishop, from 1838 cardinal.

Worthy of note was his opposition to the anti-religious policy of William I of the Netherlands, before the Belgian revolution of 1830. A supporter of broad religious freedom and tolerance in Belgium, he upheld its advisability, not always in harmony with the Holy See. He procured great advantages for his country, especially in the field of Catholic religious education (Catholic schools, founding of the University of Louvain) and in the reorganization of Catholic life in his diocese.

Works: Histoire de la vie et du martyre du bienheureux Louis Florès d'Anvers, Malines 1807; Courte dissertation sur la manière de représenter par la peinture le mystère de l'Immaculée Conception, ibid. 1855; La Constitution belge et l'encyclique de Grégoire XVI, ibid. 1864.

Bibliography2 works

BIBL.: V. Henry, Le card. S., archevêque de Malines, primat de Belgique, Bruxelles 1868; J. Laenen, s. v. in Biogr. Nationale

Belg., XXIII, coll. 801-807; E. de Moreau, s. v. in LThK, IX, coll. 811-12; A. Simon, Le card. S. et son temps, Wetteren 1950.

Jaroslav Skarvada

@incollection{ec11_sterckx_engelbert, author = {Skarvada, Jaroslav}, title = {Sterckx, engelbert}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {XI}, pages = {1323--1324}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1953}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/sterckx-engelbert} }

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Sterckx, Engelbert

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