Padre Pio of Pietrelcina and Father Ingo Dollinger, 1967

On this Trinity Sunday, 11 June 2017, Dr. Ingo Dollinger died. We just received notice from his secretary in Germany that he peacefully died at 3:57 P.M. German time, in his home, surrounded by his secretary and friends. He had been weak and in pain for quite some time now. As his secretary said to me: “His face shines beautifully in his death.”

Dr. Dollinger died after receiving the Holy Eucharist and the Sacrament of Extreme Unction on that same day. Throughout the previous night, people had prayed at his bedside. As his secretary also told me:

He died on Trinity Sunday, and the Holy Trinity and God’s Mercy were his most beloved themes. He used to say: “When I die, I wish to shoot right into the Most Holy Trinity!” And again and again, Dr. Dollinger preached about Our Lord’s profound gentleness and mercy.

Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, whose spiritual son Father Dollinger was, had once told him that he was to have much to suffer at the end of his life. This turned out to be true.

But, at the same time, Dr. Dollinger was to give a true witness at the end of his life, a witness to the fact that, in June of 2000 and shortly after the publication of the Third Secret of Fatima, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger admitted to Dr. Dollinger in person that there was still something left unpublished. We have given reports about this important event here and here.

Dr. Dollinger’s secretary once also helped us to write down the important events in Dr. Dollinger’s life which we then published. He had been instrumental in the publication of the 1983 Declaration of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith with regard to the incompatibility of Freemasonry and the Catholic Faith.

Dr. Dollinger was known for his immense love for God and for man. He was beloved by many faithful and, until the final days of his life, there were buses filled with people that stopped at his home to visit him. Still, during his long-lasting illness, Dr. Dollinger was always eager to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and he was assisted by priests from the Fraternity of St. Peter whose seminary is located in the same Bavarian village of Wigratzbad, Germany, where he lived.

The priests from the Fraternity of St. Peter will be celebrating Dr. Dollinger’s Requiem Mass. We will update you as soon as we know more about dates and other details.

May we now all pray ardently and gratefully for the repose of the soul of Dr. Dollinger, a priest who gave his life to the Church and who gave so much to so many souls.

May he be rewarded for his life, work and suffering by the Holy Trinity now. May he be warmly welcomed by Our Blessed Mother and her Son.

If God wills it, may he now also already intercede for us and help us to sustain our Faith in these trying times, and even to grow in our Faith. And may he help us with the intention that the Third Secret of Fatima, in all of its integrity and fullness, and to include the added explanations from Sister Lucia, may be published soon. For the greater good of the Church.

Thank you, Dr. Dollinger.

Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, pray for us.

Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.

The text has been updated, and some more information about Dr. Dollinger’s last hours has been added.

Update, 12 June: Bishop Athanasius Schneider has informed me that he himself will be celebrating the Requiem Mass for Dr. Dollinger in Wigratzbad on 19 June (15.00 P.M.). We are deeply grateful to Bishop Schneider for this act of gratitude toward Dr. Dollinger.

Update 15 June: The Funeral will take place at Pfarrkirche 88145 Opfenbach, Germany.