Leo Feichtmeier

Leo Feichtmeier
Feichtmeier at the Franziskus-Marterl
Born(1933-07-28)July 28, 1933
Freihung (Bavaria, Germany)
DiedMay 24, 2025(2025-05-24) (aged 91)
Regensburg
OccupationRoman Catholic priest
Known forWAA-Priest

Leo Feichtmeier (* July 28, 1933 in Freihung; † May 24, 2025 in Regensburg) was a German Roman Catholic priest and opponent of the nuclear Wackersdorf reprocessing plant (WAA).

Life and Work

Feichtmeier grew up in Freihung (now in the district of Amberg-Sulzbach) with two brothers and a sister. His mother was a seamstress and his father worked for the postal service. At the age of eleven, Feichtmeier entered the boarding school at the Regensburg seminary. After graduating from high school in 1952, he began his novitiate with the Jesuits in Munich, where he studied theology and philosophy. After two years of teaching practice at St. Blasius, he continued his studies in Innsbruck, where he completed them. Two of his brothers also became priests, although his mother was rather critical of the Church. Feichtmeier completed a large part of his priestly training with the Jesuits, after which he decided to become a diocesan chaplain (secular clergy). On June 29, 1964, he was ordained a priest in Regensburg Cathedral. He served as a curate in Windischeschenbach and Roding. From 1970 onward, he was a parish priest and religion teacher at the Regental Gymnasium in Nittenau.

Feichtmeier completed a large part of his priestly formation with the Jesuits, after which he decided to become a diocesan chaplain. Feichtmeier died on May 24, 2025, at the age of 91.

Critical attitude towards the church

Feichtmeier attributed his critical stance towards the Church to his upbringing and training with the Jesuits. He believed the Church was a "feudal system" in which one submits and swallows many things, and one should "not let Rome and the bishops boss one around." He demanded, for example, that the Church deal differently with the shortage of priests. It should heed the proposals of leading theologians and ordain proven married men, and also allow men without a high school diploma to be ordained. Furthermore, every priest should be free to decide whether or not to live celibately, as the current situation was untenable.

Feichtmeier often wrote critical articles for the magazine Pipeline of the Regensburg Action Group. He demanded "much more participation of the grassroots" in the Church, which also required "elevating" the status of women and electing bishops from the laity. Church services also needed to become more vibrant and offer more for young people. “We are a slowly declining church with many elderly people.” He did not see the blessing of same-sex couples as a problem, contradicting his bishop, Rudolf Voderholzer.

He was involved in the Regensburg Action Group and the "We Are Church" movement, among others, and was summoned to the bishop’s office three times.

Opponents of the Wackersdorf reprocessing plant (WAA)

Feichtmeier, among others, held Sunday devotions at the Franziskus-Marterl.

Feichtmeier became known as an opponent of and demonstrator against the Wackersdorf reprocessing plant (WAA) in the 1980s. He was a religion teacher at the Gymnasium (grammar school), a pastor in Nittenau, and active in the Sunday services at the St. Francis Shrine. The Bavarian Ministry of Education initiated disciplinary proceedings against him because he had behaved in an agitational manner and thus violated the duty of restraint stipulated in the Civil Service Act.

Feichtmeier wrote the text for the dedication of the Stolen Cross of Wackersdorf. When the cross was sawn down by the police in the shantytown Free Republic of Wackerland a week later, he read the biblical text about the Deposition of Jesus from the Cross (John 19:38–40) over a loudspeaker. At an ecumenical service in the Schwandorf market square in June 1986, Feichtmeier read the first pastoral letter against the nuclear reprocessing plant in the German-speaking world, written by Bishop Maximilian Aichern of Linz. The vicar general of Regensburg, Fritz Morgenschweis, said he shouldn't interfere "when it comes to our power plant!" He "slowly" began to question the establishment of church leaders and the Christian Social Union (CSU) and lost his fear of those in power.

The priests Leo Feichtmeier, Andreas Schlagenhaufer, Richard Salzl and others held the Sunday ecumenical services at the Franziskus-Marterl. In 1986, the Vicar General of Regensburg, Fritz Morgenschweis, informed the five priests in a letter on behalf of Bishop Manfred Müller that there was no church insurance for those gathered at the Franziskus-Marterl wayside shrine and that Eucharistic celebrations were prohibited on the WAA site.

Awards and honors

Francis of Assisi Memorial Medal for Environmental Protection and Civil Courage (2026, posthumously)

Films and documentaries

Publications (selection)

References

  1. ↑ Susanne Christina Weiss: Kulturell tätige Lehrer in Nittenau (Culturally active teachers in Nittenau), Regensburg 1992, p30
  2. ↑ Nun schweigt der WAA-Pfarrer für immer (Now the WAA pastor will remain silent forever), Mittelbayerische Zeitung, 26 May 2025
  3. ↑ Pfr. i. R. Leo Feichtmeier verstorben (Pastor Emeritus Leo Feichtmeier has passed away), Diocese of Regensburg, 26 May 2025
  4. ↑ Traueranzeigen von Leo Feichtmeier (Obituaries for Leo Feichtmeier), Mittelbayerische Zeitung, 27 May 2025
  5. 1 2 Ein kreativer und kritischer Ordensmann (interview) (A creative and critical member of a religious order), Mittelbayerische Zeitung, 1 September 2018
  6. ↑ Pipeline – Mitteilungsblatt des Aktionskreises Regensburg (Pipeline – Newsletter of the Regensburg Action Group), Aktionskreis Regensburg (AKR)
  7. ↑ Feichtmeiers Werte sollen fortleben – Wachsam und kritisch sein: So lautete der Appell beim Abschied vom WAA-Pfarrer (Feichtmeier's values should live on – be vigilant and critical: That was the appeal at the farewell to the WAA pastor.), Mittelbayerische Zeitung, 30 May 2025
  8. ↑ Pfarrer widerspricht dem Bischof (Priest contradicts the bishop), Mittelbayerische Zeitung, 24 March 2021
  9. ↑ WAA-Proteste machten ihn bekannt – Auch mit 90 predigt er noch fleißig – Leo Feichtmeier wurde vor 60 Jahren zum Priester geweiht (WAA protests made him famous – Even at 90 he still preaches diligently – Leo Feichtmeier was ordained a priest 60 years ago), Mittelbayerische Zeitung, 28 June 2024
  10. ↑ Ihr schaut’s ja aus wie die Raubritter – Spiegel-Redakteur Tom Schimmeck über Wackersdorf und den Atomstaat in der Oberpfalz (You look like robber barons – Spiegel editor Tom Schimmeck on Wackersdorf and the nuclear state in the Upper Palatinate), Der Spiegel, 11 July 1988
  11. ↑ Theologe Leo Feichmeier bei Marterl-Andacht: „Zeichen des Protests“ – Der katholische Theologe Leo Feichtmeier gehört in den 1980er Jahren zu den Staatsfeinden. Drei Disziplinarverfahren strengte die Regierung gegen den Religionslehrer am Regental-Gymnasium Nittenau an. (Theologian Leo Feichmeier at a wayside shrine service: "A sign of protest" – In the 1980s, the Catholic theologian Leo Feichmeier was considered an enemy of the state. The government initiated three disciplinary proceedings against the religion teacher at the Regental-Gymnasium Nittenau), Onetz, 30 April 2018
  12. ↑ Julius Schophoff: Das Kreuz von Wackersdorf – Zigtausende Menschen demonstrierten 1986 gegen die atomare Aufbereitungsanlage Wackersdorf, unter ihnen sehr viele Christen: Ihr Kruzifix im Hüttendorf wurde zu einem umstrittenen Symbol (The Wackersdorf Cross – Tens of thousands of people demonstrated against the Wackersdorf nuclear reprocessing plant in 1986, among them many Christians: Their crucifix in the hut village became a controversial symbol), Chrismon (magazine), August 2011, p.68–69
  13. ↑ „Bauzaun beginnt an der Grenze zu Österreich“ – Demonstration und Andacht gegen WAA-Bau / Christa Meier wirft der CSU Völkerrechtsverletzung vor ("Construction fence begins at the border with Austria" – Demonstration and prayer service against WAA construction / Christa Meier accuses the CSU of violating international law), Mittelbayerische Zeitung, 30 June 1986 - at Culture against the WAA, p. 6
  14. ↑ Auf einem fast vergessenen Schlachtfeld – Vor 20 Jahren kam es in Wackersdorf zu einer legendären Kraftprobe zwischen dem Staat und Bürgern, die eine Wiederaufbereitungsanlage verhindern wollten (On an almost forgotten battlefield – 20 years ago, a legendary showdown took place in Wackersdorf between the state and citizens who wanted to prevent a reprocessing plant), taz 4 February 2006
  15. ↑ »Ausstieg ist nicht Christenpflicht« - Mit dem Beistand der Amtskirche will die CSU den Protest gegen die Atomfabrik Wackersdorf brechen ("Exiting nuclear power is not a Christian duty" - With the support of the official church, the CSU wants to break the protest against the Wackersdorf nuclear reprocessing plant), Der Spiegel, 17 August 1986
  16. ↑ Das Franziskusmarterl bei Wackersdorf. 3D-Scan eines Objekts des Widerstands (The Franziskusmarterl near Wackersdorf. 3D scan of a resistance object), Freilandmuseum Oberpfalz [de]
    Christlicher Widerstand, Kultur gegen die WAA
  17. ↑ Dietmar Zierer [de]: Radioaktiver Zerfall der Freiheit – WAA Wackersdorf (Radioactive decay of freedom – WAA Wackersdorf), Lokal-Verlag 1988, p. 251 f.
  18. ↑ Der Landkreis Schwandorf verleiht in einer Feierstunde Verdienstmedaillen (The district of Schwandorf awards medals of merit in a ceremony), Der Ostbayern Kurier, 12 June 2021
  19. ↑ WAA-Pfarrer Leo Feichtmeier ist seit 60 Jahren Priester – Jubiläum mit Festgottesdienst in Nittenau gefeiert (WAA pastor Leo Feichtmeier has been a priest for 60 years – anniversary celebrated with a festive church service in Nittenau), 1 July 2024
  20. ↑ Pfarrer Schlagenhaufer für Umweltschutz geehrt - Pfarrer Andreas Schlagenhaufer wurde mit der Franziskus-Marterl-Medaille für seinen Einsatz im Umweltschutz ausgezeichnet. Die Ehrung fand am Franziskus-Marterl statt (Pastor Schlagenhaufer honored for environmental protection - Pastor Andreas Schlagenhaufer was awarded the Franziskus-Marterl-Medal for his commitment to environmental protection. The ceremony took place at the Franziskus-Marterl), Onetz, 9 October 2026
  21. ↑ Auszeichnung für WAA-Pfarrer - Für Umweltschutz und Zivilcourage: Andreas Schlagenhaufer war Symbolfigur - Auch Wolfgang Nowak gewürdigt (Award for WAA pastor – For environmental protection and civil courage: Andreas Schlagenhaufer was a symbolic figure – Wolfgang Nowak also honored), Mittelbayerische Zeitung, 14 October 2026
  22. ↑ Atomstreit in Wackersdorf (Nuclear dispute in Wackersdorf), 2017, YouTube 44 min
  23. ↑ Einweihung des Solarpark Fronberg – Der Solarpark wurde jetzt feierlich von Leo Feichtmeier und weiteren WAA-Gegnern eingeweiht (Inauguration of the Fronberg solar park – The solar park was officially inaugurated by Leo Feichtmeier and other WAA opponents), Oberpfalz TV [de], May 2018, 1 min
  24. ↑ Gedenktag WAA Wackersdorf, Am 3. Oktober 2018 trafen sich Zeitzeugen (Commemoration Day WAA Wackersdorf, On October 3, 2018, eyewitnesses met), BUND 2018, 4 min
  25. ↑ Gedenktag WAA Wackersdorf (Langversion) – Stationen eines Widerstands (Commemoration Day WAA Wackersdorf (long version) – stages of a resistance), BUND 2018, 12 min
  26. ↑ Franziskus-Marterl in Wackersdorf: Christlicher Widerstand gegen Atomkraft (Franziskus-Marterl in Wackersdorf: Christian resistance against nuclear power), Deutschlandfunk (DLF), Sendereihe: Tag für Tag, von Agnes Steinbauer, 30 September 2024, 10 min
  27. ↑ Pfarrer Leo Feichtmeier – Arbeitskreis Theologie/Kernergie, Radi Aktiv (magazine), 5/1985, Laka (archive) [de]