Pope Clement VIII

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(IPPOLITO ALDOBRANDINI).

Born atFano, March, 1536, of a distinguished Florentinefamily; died atRome, 5 March, 1605. He was electedpope 30 January, 1592, after a stormyconclave graphically described by Ranke (Geschichte der römischen Päpste, 9th ed., II, 150 sqq.). In his youth he made excellent progress injurisprudence under the direction of hisfather, an able jurist. Through the stages of consistorial advocate, auditor of theRota and the Datary, he was advanced in 1585 to the dignity ofCardinal-Priest of the Title of St. Pancratius and was made grand penitentiary. He won the friendship of the Hapsburgs by his successful efforts, during a legation toPoland, to obtain the release of theimprisoned Archduke Maximilian, the defeated claimant to the Polish throne. During theconclave of 1592 he was the unwilling candidate of the compact minority ofcardinals who were determined to deliver theHoly See from the prepotency ofPhilip II of Spain. His election was greeted with boundless enthusiasm by theItalians and by all whoknew his character. He possessed all the qualifications needed in the Vicar of Christ. Blameless inmorals from childhood, he had at an early period placed himself under the direction ofSt. Philip Neri, who for thirty years was his confessor. Upon Clement's elevation to thepapacy, the aged saint gave over this important office toBaronius, whom thepope, notwithstanding his reluctance, created acardinal, and to whom he made his confession every evening. The fervour with which he said his daily Mass filled all present with devotion. His long association with the Apostle ofRomecaused him to imbibe thesaint's spirit so thoroughly, that in him St. Philip himself might be said to have ascended thepapal chair. Though vast political problems clamoured for solution, thepope first turned his attention to the more important spiritual interests of theChurch. He made a personal visitation of all the churches andeducational andcharitable institutions ofRome, everywhere eliminating abuses and enforcing discipline. To him we owe the institution of theForty Hours' Devotion. He founded atRome the Collegio Clementino for theeducation of the sons of the richer classes, and augmented the number of national colleges inRome by opening the Collegio Scozzese for the training of missionaries toScotland. The "Bullarium Romanum" contains many important constitutions of Clement, notably one denouncingduelling and one providing for the inviolability of theStates of the Church. He issued revised editions of theVulgate (1598), theBreviary, theMissal, also the "Cæremoniale", and the "Pontificale".

The complicated situation inFrance presented no insuperable difficulties to two consummate statesmen likeHenry of Navarre and Clement VIII. It was clear to Henry that, notwithstanding his victories, he could not peacefully retain the French Crown without adopting theCatholicFaith. HeabjuredCalvinism 25 July, 1593. It was equally clear toPope Clement that it was hisduty tobrave the selfish hostility ofSpain by acknowledging the legitimate claims of Henry, as soon as he convinced himself that the latter's conversion was something more than a political manoeuvre. In the autumn of 1595 he solemnly absolvedHenry IV, thus putting an end to the thirty years' religiouswar inFrance and winning a powerful ally in his struggle to achieve the independence ofItaly and of theHoly See. Henry's friendship was of essential importance to thepope two years later, when Alfonso II, Duke ofFerrara, died childless (27 Oct., 1597), and Pope Clement resolved to bring the stronghold of the Este dynasty under the immediatejurisdiction of theChurch. ThoughSpain and the empire encouraged Alfonso'sillegitimate cousin, Cesare d'Este, to withstand thepope, they were deterred from giving him aid by Henry's threats, and thepapal army enteredFerrara almost unopposed. In 1598 Pope Clement won still more credit for thepapacy by bringing about a definite treaty of peace betweenSpain andFrance in the Treaty of Vervins and betweenFrance andSavoy. He also lent valuable assistance in men and money to the emperor in his contest with theTurks inHungary. He was as merciless asSixtus V in crushing out brigandage and in punishing the lawlessness of the Roman nobility. He did not even spare the youthful patricide Beatrice Cenci, over whom so many tears have been shed. (Bertolotti, Francesco Cenci e la sua famiglia,Florence, 1879.) On 17 Feb., 1600, theapostateGiordano Bruno was burned at the stake on the Piazza dei Fiori. The jubilee of 1600 was a brilliant witness to the glories of the renovatedpapacy, three millionpilgrims visiting the holy places. In 1595 was held the Synod of Brest, inLithuania, by which a great part of theRuthenianclergy and people were reunited toRome (Likowski, Union zu Brest, 1094). Although Clement, in spite of constantfasting, was tortured with gout in feet and hands, his capacity for work was unlimited, and his powerfulintellect grasped all the needs of theChurch throughout the world. He entered personally into the minutest detail of every subject which came before him, e.g., in thedivorce betweenHenry IV and Margaret of Valois, yet more in the great controversy on grace between theJesuits and theDominicans (seeBAÑEZ,MOLINA). He was present at all the sessions of theCongregatio de auxiliis (q.v.), but wisely refrained from issuing a finaldecree on the question. Clement VIII died in his seventieth years after a pontificate of thirteen years. His remains repose in Santa Maria Maggiore, where the Borghesi, who succeed the Aldobrandini in thefemale line, erected a gorgeous monument to his memory.

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