Albrecht von Brandenburg Born: 28 JUN 1490 Sex: M Died: 24 SEP 1545 St. Martinsburg, Mainz, Hesse, GERMANY Buried: ? Dom Mainz Occupation: Cardinal, Archbishop+Elector of Mainz
Relationship: 6. cousin 12+14 times removed, etc.
Ancestors:
Marriage(s) and Relationships:Notes: Cardinal and Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, born 28 June, 1490; died
24 September, 1545. As early as 1509 he was Prebendary inthe Cathedral of
Mainz; Archbishop of Magdeburg and Administrator of Halberstadt from
1513; Archbishop of Mainz from 1514; Cardinal-Priest from 1518. The
Indulgence issued by Leo X in 1514 for the building of the new St.
Peter's in Rome, was entrusted to Albert (1517) for publication in Saxony
andBrandenburg, This commission has been made by d'Aubigné and others the
ground of many accusations against Albert and Leo X, as though they had
used the Indulgence as a means of enriching themselves personally,
"dividing beforehand the
spoils of the credulous souls of Germany" (d'Aubigné, History of the
Reformation). Albert employed Tetzel for the actual preaching of the
Indulgence and furnished him a book of instructions: "Instructio summaria
ad Subcommissarios Poenitentiarum et Confessores." Later, Martin Luther
addressed a letter of protest to Albert concerning the conduct of Tetzel,
found fault with the Bishop's book of instructions, and asked him to
suppress it. Luther's charges are altogether groundless; the instructions
of Albert to the preachers are both wise and edifying. Luther's letter
was disregarded. Though many of the accusations against Albert's morals
were, doubtless, false, Luther was probably justified in thinking that he
would findin Albert a strong partisan. The young bishop was somewhat
worldly-minded, extravagant, better trained in humanistic studies than in
theology, too much given to the patronage of learned men and artists. His
long intimacywith Ulrich von Hutten is especially reprehensible. Leo X
was obliged tosend an admonition to Mainz because so many books hostile
to the Faith were being published under the Bishop's eye. In later life
Albert changed his conduct. In his diocese celebrated defenders of
Catholicism were engaged; at Speyer and Ratisbon he met Blessed Peter
Faber, S.J., and kept him inhis diocese (1542-43); after this he was
always a
friend to the new order. Albert strove earnestly to introduce a ore
perfect system of religious instruction and brought forward measures for
that purpose in the Diet of Nuremberg. He became by the sincerity of his
zeal the great defender of the Faith in Germany. As a temporal prince, he
ruled his electorate well; he introduced reforms in the administration of
justice, into the police system ,and into commerce. He was buried in the
Cathedral of Mainz. An artistic memorial marks the resting-place of his
remains.
ALZOG, Universal Church History, PABISCH-BYRNE tr. (Cincinnati, 1876);
ROSCOE, Life of Leo X; D'AUBIGNE, History of Reformation in Germany and
Switzerland, Eng. Tr. (Philadelphia, 1843);
SMITH, Luther and Tetzel (Cath. Truth Soc. Publication) 43; ROTHBACHER,
Histoire universelle de l'eglise catholique, IX,; PALLAVICINO, Istoria
del Concilio di Trento (Rome, 1833); ORLANDINI, Historia Soc. Jesu
(Cologne, 1615).
M.J. O'MALIA.
Transcribed by Alberto Hernández Banuchi.
From the Catholic Encyclopedia,
Source: Leo van de Pas
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