Pope Innocent XII (Latin:Innocentius XII;Italian:Innocenzo XII; 13 March 1615 – 27 September 1700), bornAntonio Pignatelli, was head of theCatholic Church and ruler of thePapal States from 12 July 1691 to his death in September 1700.
He took a hard stance againstnepotism in the Church, continuing the policies ofPope Innocent XI, who started the battle against nepotism but which did not gain traction underPope Alexander VIII. To that end, he issued apapal bull strictly forbidding it. The pope also used this bull to ensure that no revenue or land could be bestowed on relatives.
Antonio Pignatelli was born on 13 March 1615 inSpinazzola[1] (now inApulia) to one of the most aristocratic families of theKingdom of Naples, which had included several Viceroys and ministers of the crown. He was the fourth of five children of FrancescoPignatelli, 4th Marquess of Spinazzola, and wife PorziaCarafa, 1st Princess of Minervino. His siblings were Marzio, Ludovico, Fabrizio and Paola Maria. His mother was related toPope Paul IV.
At the age of 20 he became an official of thecourt ofPope Urban VIII. Pignatelli was the Referendary of theApostolic Signatura and served as the governor ofFano andViterbo. Later he went toMalta where he served as aninquisitor from 1646 to 1649,[2] and then governor ofPerugia. Shortly after this, he received his priestly ordination.
After five months, Cardinal Pignatelli emerged as a compromise candidate between the cardinals of France and those of the Holy Roman Empire, particularly after CardinalGregorio Barbarigo was no longer considered a viable candidate for the papacy.[2] Having received 53 out of 61 votes, Pignatelli took his new name in honour ofPope Innocent XI and was crowned on 15 July 1691 by theprotodeacon, Cardinal Urbano Sacchetti. He took possession of theBasilica of Saint John Lateran on 13 April 1692.
Immediately after his election on 12 July 1691, Innocent XII declared his opposition to thenepotism which had afflicted the reigns of previous popes. The following year he issued thepapal bull,Romanum decet Pontificem, banning thecurial office of theCardinal-Nephew and prohibiting popes from bestowingestates, offices, orrevenues on any relative. Further, only one relative (and only "if otherwise suitable") was to be raised to the cardinalate.[1]
At the same time he sought to check thesimony in the practices of theApostolic Chamber and to that end introduced a simpler and more economical manner of life into his court. Innocent XII said that "the poor were his nephews" and compared his public beneficence to the nepotism of many predecessors.
That same year he invitedMarcello Malpighi to Rome to serve as his personal physician and offered him the position of Professor of Medicine at theSapienza University of Rome. Malpighi introduced his Roman colleagues to the use of themicroscope.[3]
Innocent XII also introduced various reforms into the States of the Church including theForum Innocentianum, designed to improve the administration of justice dispensed by the Church. In 1693 he compelled French bishops to retract the four propositions relating to theGallican Liberties which had been formulated by the assembly of 1682.
In 1699, he decided in favour ofJacques-Benigne Bossuet in that prelate's controversy withFénelon about theExplication des Maximes des Saints sur la Vie Intérieure of the latter. Innocent XII's pontificate also differed greatly from his predecessors' because of his leanings towards France instead of theHabsburg monarchy; the first in the 20 years following France's failure to have its candidate elected in1644 and1655.
The tomb and monument to Innocent XII in Saint Peter's Basilica.
Innocent XII was already considerably ill on 25 December 1699 withgout (a rheumatic disease) and was therefore unable to attend the solemn opening of the Holy Door atSaint Peter's Basilica to mark the beginning of theJubilee for 1700, hence, CardinalEmmanuel-Théodose de La Tour d'Auvergne represented the pontiff in the solemn celebration. OnEaster Sunday in 1700, the seriously ill pontiff gave a blessing from his balcony to the large crowds outside of theQuirinal Palace. Despite his illness, he named three new cardinals in June 1700.
Innocent appears as one of the narrators inRobert Browning's long poemThe Ring and the Book (1869), based on the true story of the pope's intervention in a historical murder trial in Rome during his papacy. Innocent is the most recent pope to not be clean shaven.[4]
Ago, R. (1994), "La carriera curiale di Antonio Pignatelli," in:Riforme, religione e politica durante il pontificato di Innocenzo XII (1691-1700), pp. 23–30.
Ago, Renata (2000), "Innocenzo XII,"Enciclopedia dei Papi (Treccani: 2000).(in Italian)
Pastor, Ludwig (1891).The history of the popes from the close of the Middle AgesVolume 32. London: Kegan, Paul, Trench, Trubner.
Pellegrino, B. (ed.).Riforme, religione e politica durante il pontificato di Innocenzo XII (1691-1700) Lecce 1994.(in Italian) [collection of studies]
Spedicato, M. (1994), "L'episcopato di Antonio Pignatelli a Lecce (1671-82): un governo pastorale a distanza?," in:Riforme, religione e politica, pp. 31–44.(in Italian)
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Pope Innocent XII".Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
