Döllinger, (Johann) Ignaz von (1799-1890)

German theologian and historian. Döllinger began as an firm advocate of papal authority, and championed Roman Catholicism against Protestantism. Later, he strongly opposed the doctrine of papal infallibility and was excommunicated.

Döllinger was born at Bamberg, Bavaria, and educated at Würzburg. A brilliant student, he was ordained a priest in 1822, and gained professorships in ecclesiastical history and law at Aschaffenburg (1823) and Munich (1826). In his early career, he was a strong supporter of Ultramontanism. However, a visit to Rome in 1857 changed his views, and he increasingly began to question the temporal sovereignty of the pope. When, in 1870, the Vatican Council defined the doctrine of papal infallibility, Döllinger headed a protest. After refusing to accept the doctrine, he was excommunicated, and never returned to the Church. He was honoured by many of the leading universities of Europe, and was elected president of the Munich Academy in 1873. His publications include Die Reformation, 1846, and Studies in European History (English translation), 1890.