Emmerich Joseph von Breidbach zu Bürresheim (12 November 1707 – 11 June 1774) was the

Archbishop-Elector of Mainz The Elector of Mainz was one of the seven Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire. As both the Archbishop of Mainz and the ruling prince of the Electorate of Mainz, the Elector of Mainz held a powerful position during the Middle Ages. The Archb ...

from 1763 to 1774 and Prince-Bishop of Worms from 1768 to 1774, in which capacities he was notable for introducing reforms inspired by the Enlightenment.

Biography

A member of the noble house associated with

Bürresheim Castle Bürresheim Castle (german: Schloss Bürresheim) is a medieval castle northwest of Mayen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. It is built on rock in the Eifel mountains above the Nette. Bürresheim Castle, Eltz Castle and Lissingen Castle are the only ...

, Emmerich Joseph von Breidbach zu Bürresheim was born in Koblenz on November 12, 1707. From 1752 onward, he was associated with Anton Heinrich Friedrich von Stadion, the Grand Steward of the

electoral An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operat ...

court A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in acco ...

of Archbishop of Mainz

Johann Friedrich Karl von Ostein Johann Friedrich Karl von Ostein (6 July 1689 – 4 June 1763) was the Prince-Bishop of Worms, Archbishop of Mainz and Elector of Mainz. Early life He was born as the eldest son of Count Johann Franz Sebastian von Ostein (1652-1718) and his wi ...

. Anton Heinrich Friedrich von Stadion was associated with the introduction of Enlightenment-inspired reforms in the Archbishopric of Mainz. Emmerich Joseph von Breidbach zu Bürresheim was

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 ...

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 partic ...

Mainz Mainz () is the capital and largest city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Mainz is on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite to the place that the Main joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-west, with Ma ...

on October 5, 1758, becoming the

dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean Titles * ...

Mainz Cathedral , native_name_lang = , image = Mainzer Dom nw.jpg , imagesize = , imagelink = , imagealt = , caption = , pushpin map = , pushpin label position = , pushpin map alt = , pushpin mapsize = , relief = , map caption = , iso regi ...

. Following the death of Johann Friedrich Karl von Ostein on June 4, 1763, the cathedral chapter of Mainz Cathedral elected Emmerich Joseph von Breidbach zu Bürresheim as Archbishop of Mainz on July 5, 1763.

Pope Clement XIII Pope Clement XIII ( la, Clemens XIII; it, Clemente XIII; 7 March 1693 – 2 February 1769), born Carlo della Torre di Rezzonico, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 July 1758 to his death in February 1769. ...

confirmed his appointment on October 22, 1763. He was subsequently consecrated as a

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 c ...

by Christoph Nebel, Auxiliary Bishop of Mainz, on November 13, 1763. The cathedral chapter of

Worms Cathedral St Peter's Cathedral (German: ''Wormser Dom'') is a Roman Catholic church and former cathedral in Worms, southern Germany. The cathedral is located on the highest point of the inner city of Worms and is the most important building of the Roma ...

elected him

Bishop of Worms The Prince-Bishopric of Worms, was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire. Located on both banks of the Rhine around Worms just north of the union of that river with the Neckar, it was largely surrounded by the Electorate of the ...

on March 1, 1768, with Clement XIII confirming this appointment on May 16, 1768. Emmerich Joseph von Breidbach zu Bürresheim introduced several reforms during his time as Archbishop of Mainz. The number of holidays was reduced. Schools and monasteries in the archbishopric were modernized to reflect the latest in Enlightenment thinking. Education was removed from the care of the church, and an independent teacher's academy opened on May 1, 1771. In 1773,

Pope Clement XIV Pope Clement XIV ( la, Clemens XIV; it, Clemente XIV; 31 October 1705 – 22 September 1774), born Giovanni Vincenzo Antonio Ganganelli, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 May 1769 to his death in Sep ...

issued the

papal brief A papal brief or breve is a formal document emanating from the Pope, in a somewhat simpler and more modern form than a papal bull. History The introduction of briefs, which occurred at the beginning of the pontificate of Pope Eugene IV (3 Marc ...

Dominus ac Redemptor ''Dominus ac Redemptor'' (''Lord and Redeemer'') is the papal brief promulgated on 21 July 1773 by which Pope Clement XIV suppressed the Society of Jesus. The Society was restored in 1814 by Pius VII. Background The Jesuits had been expelled ...

'', resulting in the

Suppression of the Society of Jesus The suppression of the Jesuits was the removal of all members of the Society of Jesus from most of the countries of Western Europe and their colonies beginning in 1759, and the abolishment of the order by the Holy See in 1773. The Jesuits were ...

and as a result, the

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

, which had run Mainz's system of higher education, was expelled from the Archbishopric of Mainz. Emmerich Joseph von Breidbach zu Bürresheim died in Mainz on June 11, 1774 and is buried in

References

*This page is based on this page on German Wikipedia. {{DEFAULTSORT:Breidbach zu Burresheim, Emmerich Joseph von Archbishop-Electors of Mainz 1707 births 1774 deaths