Michael Hesemann

Michael Hesemann (born March 22, 1964, Düsseldorf) is a German historian, journalist and internationally published bestselling author, specialized on Church history.

Life

Hesemann studied History and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Göttingen in Germany. He lives in Düsseldorf and Rome, where he is accredited to the Holy See Press Office. The Wall Street Journal describes him as "a religious historian who helps the Vatican date relics" ^[1] He is also one of the few academic historians who were granted access to and did research in the Vatican Secret Archives.^{[citation needed]} Since November 2008, Hesemann advises and represents the “Pave the Way Foundation” with the aim to remove obstacles between the world religions and especially to improve the relationship between Judaism and Catholicism.^[2]

His 34 books were published in 14 languages (German, English, Spanish, Italian, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Romanian, Croatian, Greek, Polish, Russian, Dutch, French) with a world print-run of nearly two million copies. Hesemann lectured at international conferences and at over 30 universities of all five continents, including the Vatican Lateran University.

Jesus-Inscription

With official permission from the Vatican, he investigated the history of the alleged relic of the inscription of the cross of Jesus, hidden in Rome for nearly 1700 years. It was dated by seven Israeli experts for comparative palaeography –the established method to date inscriptions- into the 1st century, indicating its authenticity.^{[citation needed]}

On December 17, 1998, Hesemann was personally received by H.H. Pope John Paul II to present the results of his study on this important relic. Later, in a letter written by his personal secretary, John Paul II expressed Hesemann his “admiration and appreciation for your laborious research”. Hesemann's conclusions were later confirmed by the work of Prof. Maria-Luisa Rigato of the Pontificial University Gregoriana in Rome and Prof. Carsten Peter Thiede of the Universities of Basle (Switzerland) and Beer-Sheva (Israel).^{[citation needed]} His subsequent book “Titulus Crucis” (The Jesus-Title) became a bestseller in Germany and Italy, published by the leading Catholic publishing houses of both countries, Herder (1999) and San Paolo (2000). The relic, exhibited in the Basilica di Santa Croce, became one of the major pilgrim's attractions during the Holy Year 2000.

Fatima

Hesemann delivered the German language reading in the Easter Night Vigil 1999, the last of the 20th century, presided by the Pope, in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. He was personally invited to participate in the opening and closing of the “Holy Year 2000” and travelled with Pope John Paul II to Poland, the Holy Land and Fátima, Portugal. He followed the publication of the Third Secret of Fatima and interviewed several high ranking Curia members including Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone, Secretary General of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith (today Cardinal Bertone, the Vatican’s Secretary of State), one of the Vatican’s major departments.

Christian Relics

In the “Holy Year” 2000, Hesemann released his book “The Silent Witnesses of Golgota” in German, followed by an Italian translation (Edizioni San Paolo) two years later. It is the first complete study on the relics of the Passion of Christ. Hesemann was invited to present it personally to His Holiness, Pope John Paul II., during an audience on June 6, 2001. Archbishop Stanislaus Dziwisz, the Personal secretary of the Pope, commented beforehand: “Your unique book … has moved me to tears. Receive my deepest thanks and my appreciation for your sacrificial research work on the most holy relics of the Church of God! … Praying I contemplate in this Holy Week on the silent witnesses of Golgota you worked on.”.^[3] Hesemann lectured on International Congresses on the Turin Shroud in Dallas/TX, Stockton/CA, Paris/France, Rome and Orvieto/Italy and Madrid/Spain and investigated what he believes to be a complementary relic, the Sudario (blood cloth) of Oviedo/Spain. In the course of his research, Hesemann identified a 5th century cave monastery at the banks of the Jordan river in which this relic was seen and described by pilgrims of the 6th century AD.^{[citation needed]}

Holy Grail

In 2003, two more books on Christian relics followed, “The Discovery of the Holy Grail” and “The First Pope”, which describes the fascinating story of the discovery of the tomb of St. Peter beneath St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome. Again, Hesemann was invited to present the book personally to the Holy Father, this time on the eve of his 25th Jubilee, October 15, 2003. “Joy, gratitude and appreciation are my feelings for you to salute your book ‘The First Pope’ adequately… Finally we have a profound scientific study on Peter, Prince of the Apostles”, Archbishop Dziwisz wrote on October 28, 2003. The book was written in close cooperation with Bishop Vittorio Lanzani of the Fabbrica di S. Pietro and the renowned Church historian Prof. Dr. Eva-Maria Jung-Inglessis, Rome, and includes many never-before-published photos of the Vatican excavations.

In March 2006, on request of the Cofradia of the "Caballeros del Santo Caliz", Hesemann briefed Pope Benedikt XVI and Archbishop Piero Marini, Master of Liturgical Ceremonies of the Holy Father, on the "Santo Caliz" (Holy Chalice) in preparation of the Holy Father's announced trip to the World Family Meeting in Valencia. Indeed on July 8, 2006 Benedict XVI "halted before the celebrated relic of the Holy Chalice", as he told the Valencians later. The next day, July 9, he celebrated Mass with it in front of over 2 Million people.^[4] Hesemann also contributed to the first interdisciplinary publication on the Holy Chalice, released by the Valencian Library in colloboration with the Archdiocesis Valencia in May 2006.^[5] Furthermore he was invited to speak at the First International Congress on the Holy Grail, organized by the Archdiocesis Valencia in November 2008.^[6] In 2003, in appreciation of his work, Hesemann was invited to become a “Caballero del Santo Caliz” (Knight of the Holy Grail) himself, a member of the noble Confraternity under the auspices of the Cardinal Archbishop of Valencia, Don Agustin Garcia-Gasco.

Black legends

He followed Pope Benedict XVI on his trips to Germany (2005, 2006), Spain (2006) and Israel (2009). On June 6, 2007, he was received by the Pope in an audience and presented him his latest book on the "Black Legends" of the Church history. In October 2007, he commented the publication of documents on the Knight Templars by the Vatican Secret Archives for "Die Welt", Germany's most respected national daily newspaper.^[7]

St. Paul

In April 2008, after research in Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Israel and Malta, Hesemann published "Paulus von Tarsus", an "archaeological biography" of St. Paul, on occasion of the "Pauline Year 2008/9", inaugurated by Pope Benedict XVI on June 28, 2008. His book features the first forensic reconstruction of the face of St. Paul, done by experts of the State Bureau of Investigations (Landeskriminalamt) of Northrhine-Westphalia. Hesemann runs the German language website on the Pauline Year,.^[8] He also worked as a lecturer on St. Paul for the Educational Department of the Archdiocesis of Cologne and was invited by the Diocesis of Regensburg – the home diocesis of the Pope – to educate their deacons on Church history. In recognition of his work, he was received by the Pope in a second audience on June 25, 2008 and was invited to participate in the opening ceremony of the Pauline Year in the Papal Basilica St. Paul Outside the Walls.

Defending Pius XII

In October 2008 "The Pope who Defied Hitler. The Truth about Pius XII" for which he did research in the Vatican Secret Archives and consulted with the Relator and Postulator of the ongoing Beatification Process of the wartime Pope who, according to Hesemann, saved the lives of over 850.000 Jews during the Holocaust. When Pope Benedict XVI received the author in a third audience on October 8, 2008, he thanked him for "your good and important work". His latest discoveries, proving that Pacelli was not only far away from being “Hitler’s Pope” but indeed an early supporter of Zionism, made international headlines in early 2009.^[9][10][11] In 2010, once again in the Vatican Secret Archives, he uncovered the documents of an initiative started by Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli, the later Pope Pius XII, who requested Visa for 200.000 German Jews just three weeks after after the Crystal Night (pogrom night of Nov. 9, 1939) in Germany. His discovery received, once again, worldwide attention and deeply influenced the perception of the wartime Pope in the Israeli media.^[12]

New Testament Archaeology

In 2009, Hesemann followed Pope Benedict XVI. on his historic pilgrimage to the Holy Land. In preparation, he researched New Testament archaeology and published its latest results in two "archaeological biographies", "Jesus of Nazareth" and "Mary of Nazareth". His personal investigation included the definition of biblical sites like Cana and Emmaus and the dating of an ancient bath house, privately excavated by citizens of modern-day Nazareth. Based on historical and astronomical facts, Hesemann came to the conclusion that Jesus Christ was actually born in March 5 BC. He also worked on what he believes to be the oldest icon of Mary, the so-called "Advocata", venerated in a monastery in Rome. Future projets involve a picture documentation on the life of Pope John Paul II, for which he works exclusively with the retired Papal photographer Arturo Mari, and a major exhibition on Christian relics and reliquaries in Hong Kong.

Bibliography

• "Die kommende Weltkrise" (The Coming World Crisis), 1998
• "Die Jesus-Tafel" (The Jesus-Title), 1999
• "Das Fatima-Geheimnis" (The Fatima Secret - Revised Version), 2002
• "Geheimsache Fatima" (The Fatima Secret), 1997
• "Die kommende Weltkrise" (The Coming World Crisis), 1998
• “Die Jesus-Tafel” (The Jesus-Title), Freiburg (Herder) 1999
• “Die stummen Zeugen von Golgota” (Silent Witnesses of Golgota), München (Hugendubel) 2000
• “Die Entdeckung des Heiligen Grals” (The Discovery of the Holy Grail), München (Pattloch) 2003
• “Der erste Papst” (The First Pope), München (Pattloch) 2003
• "Hitlers Religion", München (Pattloch) 2004
• „Hitlers Lügen“ (Hitler’s Lies), Erfststadt 2005
• „Johannes Paul der Große“ (John Paul the Great), München 2005
• „Stigmata“, Güllesheim 2006
• „Die Dunkelmänner“ (The Black Legends), Augsburg (St. Ulrich) 2007
• „Paulus von Tarsus“ (St. Paul of Tarsus), Augsburg (St. Ulrich) 2008
• “Der Papst, der Hitler trotzte” (The Pope who Defied Hitler), Augsburg (St. Ulrich) 2008
• "Jesus von Nazareth. Archäologen auf den Spuren des Erloesers", Augsburg (St. Ulrich) 2009
• "Das Bluttuch Christi" (The Blood Cloth of Christ), Munich (Herbig) 2010
• "Auf den Spuren des Grabtuchs von Turin" (In Search for the Turin Shroud), Fulda (Kehl) 2010
• "Maria von Nazareth. Geschichte, Archaeologie, Legenden", Augsburg (St. Ulrich) 2011
• "Johannes Paul II. Erbe und Charisma", Augsburg (St. Ulrich) 2011

Videography

• The Face of Christ, 2002

References

1. ^ http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704216804575423673016971944.html
2. ^ www.ptwf.org
3. ^ (Letter of April 11, 2001)
4. ^ http://www.ewtn.com/news/blog.asp?blogposts_ID=73&blog_ID=1
5. ^ http://www.emf2006.org/default.php.id_seccion=20&idioma=en&mes=05&any=2006&id_noticia=193
6. ^ http://www.zenit.org/article-24353?l=english
7. ^ http://www.welt.de/wissenschaft/history/article1269683/Warum_die_Oberen_der_Templer_sterben_mussten_.html
8. ^ www.paulusjahr.info
9. ^ http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/articles/a0000485.shtml
10. ^ http://www.jewishpress.com/pageroute.do/38422
11. ^ http://britanniaradio.blogspot.com/2009/02/wartime-popes-secret-heroism-from.html
12. ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/world-war-2/7874740/Hitlers-Pope-saved-thousands-of-Jewish-lives.html

Persondata
Name	Hesemann, Michael
Alternative names
Short description	German historian, journalist and author
Date of birth	March 22, 1964
Place of birth	Düsseldorf
Date of death
Place of death