Rautenstrauch, Franz Stephan

Rautenstrauch, Franz Stephan a German theologian of the Romish Church, was born at Platten, Bo hemia, in 1734, became a Benedictine monk at Braunanl, and was there teacher of philosophy, theology, and canon law. In 1773 he was made prelatus of the convent and director of the theological faculty at Prague, and in the following year was called to Vienna to assist in the Ministry of Education. He died at Erlau, Hungary, in 1785. He was a more than ordinary manl, and as a Romanist enjoyed the confidence of all liberalminded men. He was a favorite at the court of the scholarly emperor, and was the intimate friend of Hontheim (q.v.), whose liberal ideas he favored; but on these very accounts he had much to suffer from the enmity of the Jesuits. He prepared the scheme for the course of instruction for the theological faculty in the Austrian universities. and published several minor works. On the occasion of the visit of pope Pius VI in Vienna, he wrote Patriot. Betrachtungen, etc.; but he is best known by his Synopsisis Juris Ecclesiastici (Vienna, 1776). See Sabrockh, Kirchengesch. seit der Reformation, 7:144 sq. — Herzog, Real-Encyklop. s.v.