Johann Friedrich von Waldstein

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Coin image of Count Johann Friedrich von Waldstein
Reverse with the archbishop's coat of arms

Johann Friedrich von Waldstein (also: Johann Friedrich Reichsgraf von Waldstein ; Czech: Jan Bedřich z Valdštejna ; born August 18, 1642 in Vienna , † June 3, 1694 in Dux ) was Bishop of Königgrätz and Archbishop of Prague .

biography

His parents were the chief chamberlain Maximilian von Waldstein and Polyxena, born. Thalenberg . Johann Friedrich studied philosophy with the Jesuits in Prague and then theology in Rome, where he met Jean Baptiste Mathey, among others . Still, prior to the 1665 ordination Pope named him Alexander VII. To honor prelates , and Emperor Leopold I gave him a canonry in Olomouc . He received further canons at the Breslauer Dom and the Breslauer Hl. Kreuzstift. The Prague Cross Lords with the Red Star elected him their Grand Master in 1668 .

Bishop of Königgrätz

In 1668 Johann Friedrich von Waldstein was appointed by Emperor Leopold to succeed the Bishop of Königgrätz, Matthäus Ferdinand Sobek von Bilenberg , who had become Archbishop of Prague. Because of the ongoing legal disputes between the diocese, which was only established in 1664, and the city of Königgrätz, and probably also due to the lack of a bishop's residence, Johann Friedrich avoided staying in his district. He had the diocese administered by agents and did not seek papal confirmation. The Curia therefore considered him negligent and intended to remove him.

In 1671 Johann Friedrich received the Deanery of the Breslau cathedral after he had previously applied to succeed the late Archbishop Sebastian von Rostock with the help of his brother Franz, who was Emperor Leopold's court marshal . Only after this hope was not fulfilled did he seek papal confirmation for Königgrätz, which took place on November 27, 1673. The episcopal ordination took his Königgrätzer predecessor Sobek of Bilenberg on March 4, 1675 in St. Vitus Cathedral in front. Subsequently, Johann Friedrich was able to settle the disputes with the city of Königgrätz over the patronage rights of the former parish church, which had been converted into a cathedral .

Archbishop of Prague

Coat of arms Johann Friedrich Reichsgraf von Waldstein, Archbishop of Prague

At the urging of his influential relatives, after the death of Archbishop Sobek von Bilenberk on May 6, 1675, the Prague cathedral chapter elected Johann Friedrich von Waldstein as his successor. Emperor Leopold transferred the diocese administration to him on June 15 , the papal approval was given on December 2 and the enthronement on March 14, 1676.

As Archbishop of Prague, Johann Friedrich von Waldstein endeavored to recatholize the faithful and to standardize religious rituals, for which he had the " Proprium Bohemiae" and the "Rituale Romano-Pragense" printed and renewed previous instructions and statutes. In order to remedy the shortage of priests caused by the Thirty Years' War , he called priests from other dioceses and asked the abbots of several orders to establish new monasteries on his diocesan territory. He opposed the emerging state church, with which the rights of the church and the clergy were to be restricted and state jurisdiction extended. He represented the national patriotic and corporate interests and supported the veneration of the Bohemian patron saint.

As a builder, he promoted the reconstruction and baroque transformation of the churches in his diocese and had the archbishopric residence on the Hradschin built according to plans by Jean Baptiste Mathey. In 1676 he founded a support fund for old and disabled priests, which was supported by contributions from the clergy and provided a house in Prague for the auxiliary bishop JI Dlouhoveský von Langendorf.

Landlord

He built churches at his own expense on his family lords of Dux and Oberleutensdorf , which he raised to the family fideikommiss in 1680 and used the Capuchins for the re-Catholicization . He understood his subjects and created economic relief for them.

Adoration

After an ascetic life, Johann Friedrich von Waldstein died of the leaves in his Dux castle . Since he is said to have used his income for the benefit of the church and its subjects, he was sacred. His body was buried in the Waldstein chapel of St. Vitus Cathedral.

literature

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predecessor Office successor
Matthäus Ferdinand Sobek von Bilenberg Bishop of Königgrätz
1673–1675 		Johann Franz Christoph von Thalenberg
Matthäus Ferdinand Sobek von Bilenberg Archbishop of Prague
1675–1694 		Johann Joseph von Breuner
personal data
SURNAME Waldstein, Johann Friedrich von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Waldstein, Johann Friedrich Reichsgraf von; Valdštejna, Jan Bedřich z (Czech)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Bishop of Königgrätz; Archbishop of Prague
DATE OF BIRTH August 18, 1642
PLACE OF BIRTH Vienna
DATE OF DEATH June 3, 1694
Place of death Dux