Wilhelm Rink von Baldenstein

William Rinck of Baldenstein (* 1566, † October 23, 1628 in Pruntrut) was from 1608 to 1628 Bishop of Basel.

Life

William comes from the Grisons noble family Ringg of Baldenstein. His father Georg Rinck of Baldenstein was bailiff of the Abbot of St. Gallen, his mother Anastasia Blarerer of Wartenstein was a sister of the Basel Bishop Jakob Christoph Blarer of Wartensee.

His uncle sent him to study at the Jesuit University of Dillingen, to Würzburg and Dijon. William was canon 1589, 1600 Domkustos and then Domdekan in Basel. On 19 May 1608 the cathedral chapter elected him to succeed his uncle as Bishop of Basel, the papal confirmation, on 4 February 1609. The Papal Nuncio in Switzerland, Ladislao d' Aquino, consecrated him on July 22, 1609 in the Jesuit Church of Porrentruy bishop.

Rinck of Baldenstein 1610 renewed the alliance with the Catholic federal cantons, which his predecessor had closed in 1576. A few years later joined to the diocese of the Catholic League. When the troops of Ernst Masfelds 1621 the Upper Rhine devastated, William granted to have fled from Haguenau and Molsheim Jesuit refuge in Porrentruy. To protect the city Porrentruy was attached and took up a garrison. The quartering of Imperial troops could be averted by high cash payments. Rinck of Baldenstein continued begun by his uncle reforms and recatholicisation the diocese. In the south of the Jura, he had to retreat to pressure Berns his priests, a support of the Catholic cantons of remained, however recatholicisation of Birsecks was completed in 1627. Negotiations with Besançon over a land swap that would have brought to the diocese of Basel Porrentruy failed. William encouraged the Jesuits and Capuchins. He called 1619 Ursulines to Porrentruy and entrusted them with the education of girls. At the Jesuit College he built a foundation. After his death on October 23, 1628, he was buried alongside his uncle in the Jesuit church in Porrentruy.