Sebastian von Heusenstamm

Sebastian of Heusenstamm ( born March 16, 1508 Frankfurt am Main, † March 18, 1555 in Eltville ), of the house of the lords of Heusenstamm, was Elector and Archbishop of Mainz, and thus Lord Chancellor of the Holy Roman Empire.

Life

The term of office of Sebastian fell into the troubled times after the Reformation, whose upheavals also affected, and most important, the Archbishopric of Mainz. Even before his election as Archbishop Sebastian was as Domscholaster a respected man in the chapter of Mainz. This also made him a favorite to succeed Cardinal Albrecht of Brandenburg as archbishop of Mainz. The cathedral chapter defied this Charles V, who absolutely wanted the bishop of Augsburg, Cardinal Otto Steward of Waldburg, as the new Archbishop, as he could be with this safe from a stay at Catholicism in the important archbishopric.

On October 20, 1545 Sebastian was elected the new archbishop. Catholic princes Sebastian had previously been suspect because of his supporters and the Protestant Landgrave Philip of Hesse was one. But on the faithfulness of Sebastian's there seemed little doubt, even the Pope confirmed the Archbishop little later in the office. On May 2, 1546 Sebastian was ordained archbishop; He received his episcopal consecration Melchior Zobel of Giebelstadt, Bishop of Würzburg.

The Archbishop of Mainz was Reichserzkanzler and one of the seven electors, so therefore one of the most important imperial princes and politicians. Therefore, on the rather apolitical Sebastian difficult political questions came to immediately after taking office. The first task was undamaged get out of the Smalcald War so-called, which is not completely succeeded.

Politically most complicated was the suppression or demarcation to Protestantism, with which at the same time also addressed the Council of Trent. Since the final determination of the questions out hesitated too long, Charles V decreed in 1548 the Augsburg Interim. In addition to some concessions to the Protestants ( clerical marriage ) an extended visitation activity of the Catholic bishops should reduce the influence of Protestantism. The visitation protocols, who prepared the largely entrusted with these tasks Mainz Bishop Michael Helding, are an excellent testimony of the then state of the church landscape.

This was highly fragmented by the Reformation in the Archdiocese of what a reform necessitated by Archbishop Sebastian launched on 19 November 1548 a synod, to which all (even the Protestant has since become ) were invited ecclesiastical dignitaries. The aim of the Synod was an internal church reform. So liturgical books and a new catechism were published at the end. 1549 held Sebastian from a provincial synod, with whom he wanted to extend the results of the Synod on the remaining area of his Metropolitan Association. The aim was also not the confrontation, but the strengthening and reform from the inside out.

For final clarification of the relationship between Protestants and Catholics in turn, should the Council of Trent serve the Pope had called again after an interruption in 1551. At this second session was attended by the Archbishop and Elector Sebastian the Elector of Cologne and Trier part. There, Sebastian made ​​important suggestions for Theology and the Church, but behaved diplomatically when it came to political issues. He thus secured the good will of the Pope, who even considered equip Sebastian the dignity of Cardinal. But 1552 broke out in Germany from new unrest, including the so-called Markgraefler war. Sebastian and the other electors traveled rushed back to their provinces. After the defeat of the Emperor in 1552, the danger seemed averted, but the Margrave Albrecht Alcibiades of Brandenburg- Kulmbach started on your own to wage war. 1552 he invaded and devastated the city of Mainz.

Since Sebastian now had to accept that even the emperor, the ecclesiastical territories could not protect, he advocated an imperial religion of peace, which should at least get the remaining spiritual pins. The conclusion of such a treaty, the Peace of Augsburg, but he has not seen. On March 18, 1555 died "with spirit and skill in shops most excellent man " ( grave inscription ) and was buried in the Memorienkapelle of Mainz Cathedral.