Constantine von Schäzler

Constantine von Schäzler (b. at Ratisbon, 7 May 1827; d. at Interlaken, 9 September 1880) was a German Jesuit theologian.

Life By birth and training a Protestant, he was a pupil at the Protestant gymnasium St. Anna of Ratisbon; took the philosophical course at the University of Erlangen from 1844 to 1845; then studied law at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München from 1845 to 1847, and at Heidelberg University from 1847 to 1848. After this he decided to enter military life and became a Bavarian officer; in 1850, however, he left the army, received the degree of Doctor of Laws at the University of Erlangen, and took up the practice of law.

He entered the Catholic Church at Brussels on 10 October 1850, and began the study of theology. At Leuven in 1851, he entered the Society of Jesus. After completing the studies, he was ordained to the priesthood at Liège on 11 September 1856. In 1857, he left the Jesuits and went on with his studies at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München where in 1859 he took the degree of Doctor of Theology.

In 1861, he became a tutor in the seminary at Osnabrück; in 1862 privatdozent in the history of dogma at the University of Freiburg; in 1866 archiepiscopal councillor. During the First Vatican Council (1869–1870) he was at Rome as theologian to Bishop Josef Fessler; in 1873 he settled at Rome; in 1874 he was made a domestic prelate and was employed as consultor to various congregations. Shortly before his death he re-entered the Society of Jesus.