Matthieu Schiner

Matthieu Schiner (born in 1465 with Mühlebach, close to Aragnon in the Were worth, dead on October 1st 1522 with Rome) was a bishop of Sion, cardinal and important politician of its time.

Biography

The exact date of his birth is not known. He was the son of Peter Schiner and his wife Katharina Zmitweg. Schiner was regarded as a spirit extremely shining, with very broad political sights; it carried out an ambitious European political career and arrived at the high positions, while failing however to be made elect pope.

It was ordered priest with Rome the April 21st 1489 after studies at the school diocésaine of Sion then to Like. In 1496, it became cleaned of Aragnon, then canon and senior of the cathedral of Sion then in 1492, secretary of the powerful orator Jörg auf der Flüe (Georges Supersaxo). Supersaxo was at the beginning its guard but would become later one as of its political adversaries keenest. Schiner took part in the ousting of the bishop Jost von Silenen (1482-1496), honni as founded of capacities of France in Were worth. His/her uncle Nicolas Schiner became bishop of Sion: its episcopate lasted of 1496 to 1499.

The September 20th 1498, Schiner was named bishop by the pope Alexandre VI, it accepted évêché of Sion the October 13rd of the following year. The developments of the policy of France in Italy and the geographical location of Were worth as a strategic area of passage between the two regions via the alpine collars allowed soon Matthieu Schiner, which was fine diplomat and daring war leader, to play a European political role of foreground. Schiner put all its weight against carried out France. With the Peace of Arona in 1503, it obtained for the Swiss cantons the possession of the districts of Bellinzone and Blenio.

It convainquit Confederated to conclude an alliance with the pope Jules II: he was thus, in an indirect way, at the origin of the body of the pontifical Swiss guards. It is with the assistance of the Swiss quotas that Louis XII and the French was driven out of Italy following the Bataille of Pavia in 1512 and of Novare in 1513. In gratification of his services, the pope granted to him the honorary title of “Liberator of Italy and guard of the Church”. The September 22nd 1511, it named it cardinal and allotted to him an ecclesiastical load with Würzburg. Of 1512 with 1517, it was with the head of the évêché of Novare in Italy and was papal legate.

After the Battle of Marignan (1515) which saw the victory of François Ier, it made the expenses of the policy of reconciliation between the pope Leon X and the king of France. In 1517, its former mentor George Supersaxo - who had been combined meanwhile with France - prevented from returning in its évêché of Sion and forced it to escape. Schiner settled then with Zurich; it was still a politician of great influence. It is thanks to this influence that Charles-Quint could reach the Empire and that Schiner itself became its adviser. In 1521, he managed to take again the control of the Milanese on behalf of the emperor.

Mathieu Schiner was favorable to the humanistic theses, and friend of Erasme like Zwingli. He itself was persuaded of the need for reforming the Catholic church deeply but always refused to break with papacy. This is why, in 1521, it was one of the opponent most influential with Martin Luther and was one of the writers of the edict of Worms.

At the time of the conclave which followed the death of Leon X in 1522, it collected a big number of votes but the opposition of the French cardinals was to prevent it from being elected like new pope. He died of the Peste in Rome on October 1st 1522 and was buried, in this same city, the church Santa Maria dell' Anima.

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