Friedrich IV of Wied

Count Friedrich of Wied (* 1518, † December 23, 1568 ) was from 1562 to 1567 as Frederick IV, Archbishop and Elector of Cologne.

Life

Friedrich was 1518, the son of Count Johann III. born of Wied and his wife Countess Elisabeth of Nassau- Dillenburg.

Since 1534 provost of Cassius pen on Bonner Münster, Frederick was born on August 31, 1537 canon in Cologne. After 1546 renounced his provost in Bonn, the cathedral chapter elected him on December 12, 1548 to the choir bishop, on July 3, 1549 to Thesaurar, on August 23, 1558 to Subdean and on November 23, 1558 to the dean. From 1559 to 1562 he was dean of the pen Servatius in Maastricht.

On November 19, 1562, he was elected with 16 votes of 19 as Archbishop of Cologne. However, he refused to take an oath on the renewed by the Council of Trent Roman Catholic Church ( the so-called Professio fidei Tridentinae ), so that he did not receive papal confirmation of his choice. However, his rejection was not based on religious reasons, but he regarded it as an affront against a reigning sovereign.

Again and again indicted in Rome as a secret Protestant, he demanded from the pope the mention of informers. If this were not called him, the Pope, however, assured him that he give them no credence. Nevertheless, he insisted on the passing of the Creed and the reception of the priestly and episcopal ordination.

As Archbishop Frederick was a good and economical administrator, but he was constantly with the cathedral chapter in the dispute. As he watched the influences of the Reformation idly within his diocese, however, the chapter sought to a receipt of Catholicism within the Archdiocese of Cologne. The efforts of the wetterauischen Count to persuade him to make a new Protestantisierungsversuch of the archdiocese, the archbishop refused.

Overweight and also hard of hearing, so that one could only talk hard with him, Frederick was not a fan of great efforts and could be difficult to bring itself to decisions. The growing problems in the archdiocese, as well as the intransigence of Pope Pius V with respect to the Confessio fidei, reinforced by the decline of the imperial support, culminated on August 7, 1567 to his resignation as archbishop. Then again nachsuchend in Rome for an extension of his term, he was this granted until November 25, 1567. In the following months a supply arrangements for him was negotiated and drafted a resignation agreement. This signed on October 24, 1567 after coaxing the imperial envoy. The contract was published two days later.

His last year spent Friedrich von Wied in Cologne, where he led a secluded existence. On December 23, 1568 died in Cologne, he found his grave in the Dominican church, which was completely destroyed during World War 2.