Roman Catholic Cardinal. Gimmeldingen born Johannes von Geissel was the eldest son of a Catholic winemaker and his Protestant wife, who receiving his early education at the Imperial Lyceum of Mainz before entering the latter city's seminary in 1815, was ordained priest on August 22, 1818. Serving within the diocese of Speyer as curate in Mußbach, professor of religion at the local Catholic gymnasium, pastoral assistant of the cathedral and canon of its chapter, he displayed notable literary activity and was an important contributor to the periodical 'Katholik'. Elected bishop of Speyer on May 19, 1837, he received his episcopal consecration on the following August 13 in Augsburg from Archbishop Joseph Maria Johann Nepomuk von Fraunberg. Named apostolic administrator and coadjutor with right of succession of the archdiocese of Cologne on September 24, 1841, promoted to the titular archbishopric see of Iconio on May 23, 1842, he succeeded to the metropolitan see on October 19, 1845 upon the demise of Archbishop Clemens August Droste zu Vischering. Named assistant at the Pontifical Throne on December 2, 1845, proving on several occasions the qualities of leadership, he was appointed chairman of the Fulda Conference of Catholic Bishops in 1848. Pope Pius IX created him cardinal priest in the consistory of September 30, 1850 with the title of San Lorenzo in Panisperna. Authoring various publications, mostly on church history, King Ludwig I of Bavaria decorated him with the Knight's Cross of Merit of the Bavarian Crown while King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia honored him with the Black Eagle. Passing away in office, he was laid to rest in the metropolitan cathedral of his episcopal city.
Roman Catholic Cardinal. Gimmeldingen born Johannes von Geissel was the eldest son of a Catholic winemaker and his Protestant wife, who receiving his early education at the Imperial Lyceum of Mainz before entering the latter city's seminary in 1815, was ordained priest on August 22, 1818. Serving within the diocese of Speyer as curate in Mußbach, professor of religion at the local Catholic gymnasium, pastoral assistant of the cathedral and canon of its chapter, he displayed notable literary activity and was an important contributor to the periodical 'Katholik'. Elected bishop of Speyer on May 19, 1837, he received his episcopal consecration on the following August 13 in Augsburg from Archbishop Joseph Maria Johann Nepomuk von Fraunberg. Named apostolic administrator and coadjutor with right of succession of the archdiocese of Cologne on September 24, 1841, promoted to the titular archbishopric see of Iconio on May 23, 1842, he succeeded to the metropolitan see on October 19, 1845 upon the demise of Archbishop Clemens August Droste zu Vischering. Named assistant at the Pontifical Throne on December 2, 1845, proving on several occasions the qualities of leadership, he was appointed chairman of the Fulda Conference of Catholic Bishops in 1848. Pope Pius IX created him cardinal priest in the consistory of September 30, 1850 with the title of San Lorenzo in Panisperna. Authoring various publications, mostly on church history, King Ludwig I of Bavaria decorated him with the Knight's Cross of Merit of the Bavarian Crown while King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia honored him with the Black Eagle. Passing away in office, he was laid to rest in the metropolitan cathedral of his episcopal city.
Bio by: Eman Bonnici
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