Lorenzo Campeggio

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Cardinal, an eminent canonist,ecclesiastical diplomat, and reformer, b. 1472 (1474) at Bologna, the son of Giovanni Campeggio, a famous civil lawyer; d. atRome, 25 July, 1539. He studiedcivil law under hisfather at Padua and Bologna, and in due course married and had afamily of five children. After the death of his wife (1509), he entered theecclesiastical state. In 1512 he was appointed to the Bishopric of Feltre byJulius II, and was made auditor of theRota, at that time the supreme court ofjustice in theChurch, and the universal court of appeal. Thenceforth till his death he took a leading part aspapal representative in some of the greatest events of theReformation, especially in SouthernGermany andEngland. In 1513 he was sent byLeo X as Nuncio to Maximilian I, to bring about peace among theChristian princes and unite them in acrusade against theTurks. While still inGermany he was nominatedcardinal (1 July, 1517), at first of the Title of San Tommaso in Parione, afterwards of Sant' Anastasia, and finally ofSanta Maria in Trastevere. Returning toRome, he was sent ascardinallegate toEngland for the purpose of engagingHenry VIII in thecrusade. He set out on his journey in the middle of April, 1518, but was not allowed to enterEngland until the end of July. The delay arose from Henry's objection to the presence of a foreignlegate within his dominions. Thepope agreed that Campeggio should share the legatine powers withWolsey, who was his senior in theSacred College. Accordingly the twocardinals worked together, thoughWolsey managed to secure the precedence. The main object of Campeggio's mission was not accomplished; instead of a universal league against the Turk,Wolsey arranged an alliance betweenFrance andEngland. He also contrived to obtain an extension of his legatine powers for three years and afterwards for life. Campeggio made a favourable impression on Henry, who bestowed upon him the Bishopric ofSalisbury (which he held until 1534) and the Roman residence now known as the Giraud-Torlonia palace, then recently built fromBramante's designs.

On his return toRome (28 November, 1519), Campeggio was appointed to theSegnatura, at that time a post of the highest dignity and power. WhenAdrian VI was electedpope (1522), many plans for reform of the abuses in theChurch were submitted to him. One of the best and most thorough-going of these was that of Campeggio. He boldly declared that the chief source of all the evils was theRoman Curia, of which, as has been stated, he was himself a most influential member. He recommended that the powers of the Dataria, whose officials he styled "blood-suckers", should be greatly curtailed; thatbenefices should not be combined, or reserved, or held in commendam; and that none but able and virtuous men should be appointed to them. He bewailed the fact that theHoly See had, by means ofconcordats, surrendered therights of theChurch to thesecular powers. He spoke strongly against the reckless granting ofindulgences: especially against those of theFranciscans, and those connected with the contributions towards the building of St. Peter's inRome. As one who had held high diplomatic posts, he urged the importance of peace between theEmperor Charles V andFrancis I of France, so that these two great monarchs might join hands against the common enemy, the Turk. He also pleaded strongly for the extirpation of theLutheranerrors by the enforcement of the Edict of Worms. Adrian's pontificate was too short to enable him to carry out any of the proposed reforms. His successor,Clement VII, appointed Campeggio to the See of Bologna and sent him toGermany ascardinallegate (8 January, 1524).

Campeggio soon had reason to note the vast changes which had taken place since his former visit. At Augsburg he was grossly insulted by the populace; atNuremberg he wasobliged to dispense with the ceremonies of a public entry. He adopted a conciliatory attitude at the diet which was being held at the latter city, but he insisted that the Edict of Worms should be carried out. The members of the diet demanded that a national council should be held atSpeyer, but he induced the emperor to veto this, on condition that ageneral council should be summoned atTrent. Moreover he obtained from Charles a promise that the Edict of Worms should be enforced. Campeggio, however, saw clearly that the spread of theLutheranerrors could be checked only by a reform of the Germanclergy. For this purpose he held an assembly of twelvebishops, with the Archduke Ferdinand and theBavarian dukes. The outbreak of thePeasants' War (November, 1524) destroyed all hope of a peaceful solution of the difficulties with theReformers. Campeggio was recalled because his efforts had not met with the success which thepope had expected, and also because he was said to be on too friendly terms with the emperor. He was back inRome 20 October, 1525, and was made a member of thepapal commission on the affairs of theTeutonic Knights. During the sack ofRome by the imperial troops (1527), he remained with Clement in Castel Sant' Angelo, and after the escape of the pontiff was left behind aslegate.

The next year (1528), atWolsey's request, he was sent toEngland to form, jointly withWolsey, a court to try the so-calleddivorce suit ofHenry VIII. (For a complete account of the case see articleH VIII.) Here we need only refer to Campeggio's conduct in it. He did his best to escape the responsibility which thepope thrust upon him, for heknew well the difficulties both oflaw and fact connected with the case; and he thoroughly realized, from his intimate acquaintance with Henry and Charles (Catherine's nephew), that, whichever way it was decided, a great nation would be lost to theChurch. His instructions were to proceed with extreme slowness and caution; to bring about if possible the reconciliation of Henry with Catherine; and under no circumstances to come to a final decision. In spite of allWolsey's wiles and the bribes held out to him by the king, he refused to express any opinion and adhered strictly to the orders which he had received. He did, indeed, try his best to induce Catherine to enter aconvent, but when she with much spirit declined to do so, he praised her conduct. In the trial (June-July, 1529), it should be noted, Campeggio treatedWolsey as a subordinate and as the king's advocate rather than as a judge. On the last day (23 July), when everyone expected the final decision, he boldly adjourned the court. Some days later the news arrived that Catherine's appeal had already been received inRome and that the case was reserved to theHoly See. On his way back toItaly Campeggio was detained at Dover, while his baggage was searched by the king's officials in the hope of finding thedecretalBull defining thelaw of thedivorce. But the prudentlegate had already destroyed the document, and the search onlyproved that he left the country poorer than when he had entered it.

We next find Campeggio at Bologna, his episcopal city, present at thecoronation ofCharles V by thepope (24 February, 1530), and afterwards accompanying the emperor to the Diet of Augsburg aslegate. His influence was now greater than ever. He wrote triumphantly to Clement, assuring him that all would soon be made right inGermany. He opposed the holding of a council, because he did notbelieve in thegood faith of theProtestants, and relied chiefly on the exercise of the imperial authority to put downProtestantism, ifnecessary by force. After Clement's death (25 September, 1534), Campeggio returned toRome and took part in theconclave in whichPaul III was elected. By him he was appointed to thesuburbicarian See ofPraeneste (Palestrina), and was sent toVicenza for the opening of the council. His death took place, as above stated, atRome, and he was buried at Bologna.

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