Philipp Christoph von Sötern

Philipp Christoph von Sötern (1567–1652) was the Prince-Bishop of Speyer from 1610 to 1652 and the Archbishop-Elector of Trier from 1623 to 1652.

Philipp Christoph von Sötern was born in Kastellaun on 11 December 1567. He was the son of a Catholic mother and a Protestant father, and was initially baptized as a Lutheran. He converted to Catholicism as a child. As an adolescent, he was educated at the Jesuit school in Trier.

At age 17, he became a canon of the Cathedral of Trier; he later also acquired canonicates at Mainz Cathedral and Speyer Cathedral. He was elected provost of Trier in 1604 and proved adept at handling legal and diplomatic disputes.

On 30 May 1609, the cathedral chapter of Speyer Cathedral elected Sötern coadjutor bishop of Speyer, alongside Bishop Eberhard von Dienheim. Pope Paul V confirmed his appointment on 11 December 1609. Upon the death of Dienheim, Sötern succeeded as Bishop of Speyer on 10 October 1610. He was subsequently ordained as a priest on 8 August 1612. He was consecrated as a bishop by Stephan Weber, Auxiliary Bishop of Mainz, on 15 August 1612.

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