Johann von der Leyen (1510–1567) was the

Archbishop-Elector of Trier The elector of Trier was one of the prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire and, in his capacity as archbishop, administered the archdiocese of Trier. The territories of the electorate and the archdiocese were not, however, equivalent. History ...

from 1556 to 1567.

Biography

Johann von der Leyen was born in Saffig in 1510, the son of Bartholomäus von der Leyen,

chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

of the

Archbishopric of Cologne The Archdiocese of Cologne ( la, Archidioecesis Coloniensis; german: Erzbistum Köln) is an archdiocese of the Catholic Church in western North Rhine-Westphalia and northern Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany. History The Electorate of Cologn ...

, and his wife Katharina von Pallandt. He became ''Domizellar'' of the

Cathedral of Trier The High Cathedral of Saint Peter in Trier (german: Hohe Domkirche St. Peter zu Trier), or Trier Cathedral (german: Trierer Dom), is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the oldest church in Germany and the l ...

in 1528, during which time he studied at the University of Leuven. In 1532, he became a

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of the Cathedral of Trier. Additional canonicates at

Würzburg Cathedral Würzburg Cathedral (german: Würzburger Dom) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Würzburg in Bavaria, Germany, dedicated to Saint Kilian. It is the seat of the Bishop of Würzburg and has served as the burial place for the Prince-Bishops of Würzb ...

and at

Münster Cathedral Münster Cathedral or St.-Paulus-Dom is the cathedral church of the Catholic Diocese of Münster in Germany, and is dedicated to St Paul. It is counted among the most significant church buildings in Münster and, along with the City Hall, i ...

allowed him to continue his studies at the

University of Paris , image_name = Coat of arms of the University of Paris.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of Arms , latin_name = Universitas magistrorum et scholarium Parisiensis , motto = ''Hic et ubique terrarum'' (Latin) , mottoeng = Here and a ...

, the

University of Freiburg The University of Freiburg (colloquially german: Uni Freiburg), officially the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg (german: Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg), is a public university, public research university located in Freiburg im Breisg ...

, the

University of Orléans The University of Orléans (french: Université d'Orléans) is a French university, in the Academy of Orléans and Tours. As of July 2015 it is a member of the regional university association Leonardo da Vinci consolidated University. History ...

, and the

University of Padua The University of Padua ( it, Università degli Studi di Padova, UNIPD) is an Italian university located in the city of Padua, region of Veneto, northern Italy. The University of Padua was founded in 1222 by a group of students and teachers from B ...

. He became

chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a Minister (Christianity), minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a laity, lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secularity, secular institution (such as a hosp ...

of the Cathedral of Trier in 1535 and then

Archdeacon An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in the Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, St Thomas Christians, Eastern Orthodox churches and some other Christian denominations, above that o ...

in 1548. (Archdeacon is the highest clerical rank attained by Johann von der Leyen and he was never

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform va ...

as a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

.) When Archbishop of Trier

John of Isenburg-Grenzau John of Isenburg-Grenzau (German: Johann V. von Isenburg-Grenzau) (c. 1507 – 18 February 1556, in Montabaur) was the Count of Isenburg-Grenzau from 1554 until 1556, and (as John IV) the Electorate of Trier, Archbishop-Elector of Trier from 1547 ...

fell ill, the

cathedral chapter According to both Catholic and Anglican canon law, a cathedral chapter is a college of clerics ( chapter) formed to advise a bishop and, in the case of a vacancy of the episcopal see in some countries, to govern the diocese during the vacancy. In ...

of the Cathedral of Trier elected Johann von der Leyen as

coadjutor The term coadjutor (or coadiutor, literally "co-assister" in Latin) is a title qualifier indicating that the holder shares the office with another person, with powers equal to the other in all but formal order of precedence. These include: * Coadj ...

archbishop on 22 October 1555. He became archbishop upon the death of his predecessor on 13 February 1556. He was enthroned as archbishop on 25 April 1556. Johann von der Leyen was a proponent of the ''

reservatum ecclesiasticum The ' (Latin, "ecclesiastical reservation"; ) was a provision of the Peace of Augsburg of 1555. It exempted ecclesiastical lands from the principle of ' (Latin: whose land, his religion), which the Peace established for all hereditary dynas ...

'' provisions of the Peace of Augsburg. He opposed the efforts of Kaspar Olevianus to bring the

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

to the Archbishopric of Trier. In 1560, he encouraged the

Jesuits The Society of Jesus ( la, Societas Iesu; abbreviation: SJ), also known as the Jesuits (; la, Iesuitæ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

to take control of the philosophy and theology faculties of the

University of Trier The University of Trier (german: Universität Trier), in the German city of Trier, was founded in 1473. Closed in 1798 by order of the then French administration in Trier, the university was re-established in 1970 after a hiatus of some 172 y ...

. He oversaw the establishment of a Jesuit gymnasium in 1562. He died in

Koblenz Koblenz (; Moselle Franconian language, Moselle Franconian: ''Kowelenz''), spelled Coblenz before 1926, is a German city on the banks of the Rhine and the Moselle, a multi-nation tributary. Koblenz was established as a Roman Empire, Roman mili ...

on 10 February 1567. He was buried in Koblenz in the church dedicated to

Florinus of Remüs Florinus of Remüs (died 856 AD), also known as ''Florin'', ''Florian of Chur'', ''Florinus of Matsch'', and ''Florinus of Vinschgau'', is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church, particularly in the dioceses of Chur, Bolzano-Brixen, Vaduz, ...

. After his grave was desecrated by occupying French forces, in 1808, he was reburied in the Basilica of St. Castor.

References

*This page is based on this page on

German Wikipedia The German Wikipedia (german: Deutschsprachige Wikipedia) is the German-language edition of Wikipedia, a free and publicly editable online encyclopedia. Founded on March 16, 2001, it is the second-oldest Wikipedia (after the English Wikipedia), ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Leyen, Johann von der 1510 births 1567 deaths John 06