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Pope Clement VII ( Latin: Clemens VII; Italian: Clemente VII; born Giulio de' Medici; 26 May 1478 – 25 September 1534) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 November 1523 to his death on 25 September 1534.
- 23 September 1513, by Leo X
- 25 September 1534
- 19 November 1523
- Paul III
Clement VII, Italian pope from 1523 to 1534. He was primarily seen as a Renaissance prince preoccupied with Italian politics and the advancement of his family, the Medici. His indecisiveness allowed the Protestant Reformation to grow and resulted in Henry VIII’s eventual split from Rome.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Below is the article summary. For the full article, see Clement VII . Clement VII, orig. Giulio de’ Medici, (born May 26, 1478, Florence—died Sept. 25, 1534, Rome), Pope (1523–34). The illegitimate son of Giuliano de’ Medici ( see Medici family ), he was raised by his uncle Lorenzo de’ Medici.
- Cardinal and Papal Advisor
- Elected Pope
- Caught Between Two Monarchs
- The Sack of Rome
- After The Sack of Rome
- King Henry Sought An Annulment
- Later Years
- Books
- Online
- GeneratedCaptionsTabForHeroSec
Although his uncle had planned a military career for him, Giulio de' Medici was interested in a life in the clergy. Matthew Bunson, author of The Pope Encyclopedia, wrote that his cousin, now Pope Leo X, ignored the tradition of illegitimate men not being able to be serve as bishops. He named his cousin Archbishop of Florence and a Cardinal in 1513...
In the fall of 1523, the unpopular Pope Adrian VI (who was Dutch, and the only non-Italian pope until John Paul IIwas elected in 1978) died. Chamberlin commented that there was a great deal of political maneuvering to see who would be the next pope. Time dragged on, and the conclave of cardinals failed to elect a successor. The Roman citizens compl...
During his reign as pontiff, Clement switched allegiance between King Francis I of France and Emperor Charles V, several times. Duffy wrote that to a point, his indecisiveness was understandable. Even though Charles was a more devout Catholic than Francis, he was also a bigger threat. Duffy called Charles was "the most powerful man in Europe," as h...
Several things led up to the sack of Rome. Duffy noted that Cardinal Colonna wanted to overthrow Clement and become pope. There was also a rebellion in Florence. In Rome, families were taking sides and fighting each other. Protestantism was also growing across Europe. As noted by Duffy, the renegade French duke, Charles of Bourbon was pushing his a...
The people of Europe were shocked by the events in Rome. Chamberlin noted that Charles was also horrified by the destruction in Rome, and was debating what to do with Clement and the papacy. Clement, for his part, lived away from Rome over the next two years. Eventually, he made an uneasy peace with Charles, and crowned him as Holy Roman Emperor in...
While Clement and Rome were being attacked, England was firmly on the side of the Catholic Church. England's king, Henry VIII, wrote an attack on Luther's teachings. That support disappeared when Henry wanted to be rid of his first wife. He intended to marry another woman, in the hopes of having a son and heir to the throne. Thus began, as Antonia ...
Later in life, Clement did have two small triumphs. Emperor Charles agreed to allow Clement's ward and great niece, Catherine de' Medici, to marry the son of the king of France. Clement traveled to France and performed the wedding in October of 1533. She would eventually become queen of France. Charles also agreed to allow his daughter to marry Cle...
Bunson, Matthew, The Pope Encyclopedia,Crown Trade Paperbacks, 1995. Chamberlin, E.R., The Bad Popes,Dorset Press, 1986. Duffy, Eamon, Saints and Sinners-A History of the Popes, Yale UniversityPress in association with S4C, 1997. Kelly, J.N.D., The Oxford Dictionary of Popes, Oxford UniversityPress, 1991. The Lives of the Kings and Queens of Englan...
"Patron Saints Index: Pope Clement VII," Catholic Community Forumwebsite, http://www.catholic-forum.com(November 18, 2000). "Popes Through the Ages: Pope Clement VII," New Advent website,http://www.newadvent.org/Popes/ppc107.htm(November 18, 2000). □
Clement VII (1478-1534) was the pope of the Catholic Church during the turbulent times of the Reformation and the Italian Wars. He was a nephew of Pope Leo X and a cousin of King Henry VIII, but he was indecisive and ineffective in his dealings with powerful rulers such as Francis I and Charles V.
Pope Clement VII ( Latin: Clemens VII; Italian: Clemente VII; born Giulio de' Medici; 26 May 1478 – 25 September 1534) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 November 1523 to his death on 25 September 1534.
Pope Clement VII was the 219th pope and a member of the famous Italian Medici family. He is known for his connection to Michelangelo and for the political struggles that he faced. The life of Pope Clement VII and his papacy are addressed in this article. Early Life. Clement VII started life as Giulio, a member of the Medici family in Italy.
Learn about the life and reign of Pope Clement VII, who faced the challenges of the Reformation, the League of Cognac, and the Sack of Rome. Find out how his diplomatic blunders and irresolution led to his imprisonment and death.
