Background
Helding was born in Langenenslingen bei Riedlingen/Sigmaringen, a miller"s son.
judge priest writer Catholic bishop
Helding was born in Langenenslingen bei Riedlingen/Sigmaringen, a miller"s son.
At Pentecost in 1527 he graduated Bachelor and at Christmas 1528 as Master of Arts. He became a lecturer in Mainz, where he became rector of the Domschule (cathedral school) in 1531.
He is also known by his pen-name of Sidonius. In autumn 1525 he matriculated at the University of Tübingen. After being ordained as a priest, he worked under cardinal Albrecht von Brandenburg at Mainz Cathedral from 1533 onwards.
On 18 October 1537 he was selected to become an auxiliary bishop and was ordained to that role on 4 August the following year.
He was also appointed titular bishop of Sidon. In 1543 he graduated as doctor of theology.
He served as a Roman Catholic delegate at both the 1540-1541 Diet of Worms and in 1546 at the Diet of Regensburg. He also attended the Council of Trent.
He was present at the Council of Augsburg in 1555 and in autumn 1557 at the Colloquy of Worms, where his questions caused internal conflict between Lutheran theologians.
In 1561, less than a year before Helding"s death, Ferdinand I appointed him head of the Imperial Council in Vienna. He died in Vienna, aged about 55.