Pope Pius IV

Please help support the mission of New Advent and get the full contents of this website as an instant download. Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more — all for only $19.99...

(Giovanni Angelo Medici).

B. 31 March, 1499, atMilan; elected 26 December, 1559; d. inRome 9 Dec., 1565. TheMedici ofMilan lived inhumble circumstances and the proud Florentine house of the same name claimed no kindred with them until Cardinal Medici was seated on thepapal throne. His father Bernardino had settled inMilan and gained his livelihood by farming the taxes. Bernardino had two enterprising sons, both able to rise in the world by different roads. The oldest, Giangiacomo, became a soldier of fortune and after an adventurous career received from the emperor the title of Marchese di Marignano. He commanded the imperial troops who conqueredSiena. Giovanni Angelo was as successful with his books as his brother with his sword. He made his studies first atPavia, then at Bologna, devoting himself to philosophy, medicine, and law, in the last mentioned branch taking the degree of doctor. He gained some reputation as a jurist. In his twenty-eighth year he determined to embrace theecclesiastical state and seek his fortune inRome. He arrived in theEternal City, 26 Dec., 1527, just thirty-two years to a day before his election to thepapacy. FromClement VII he obtained the office of prothonotary, and by his intelligence, industry, and trustworthiness commended himself toPaul III who entertained the greatest confidence in his integrity and ability and employed him in the governorship of many cities of thepapal states. In the last year ofPaul III's reign, Medici, whose brother had married an Orsini, sister to thepope's daughter-in-law, was createdcardinal-priest with the title of S. Pudenziana.Julius III made himlegate in Romagna and commander of thepapal troops. The antipathy ofPaul IV was rather to his advantage than otherwise; for in the reaction which followed the death of that morose pontiff all eyes finally settled on the man who in every respect wasPaul's opposite. Theconclave dragged along for over three months, when it was obvious that neither the French nor the Spanish-Austrian faction could win the election. Then, mainly through the exertions of Cardinal Farnese, theconclave by acclamation pronounced in favour of Medici. He wascrowned 6 Jan., 1560, and took the name of Pius IV.

His first official act was to grant an amnesty to those who had outraged the memory of his predecessor,Paul IV; but he refused clemency to Pompeio Colonna, who hadmurdered his mother-in-law. "God forbid", he said, "that I should begin my pontificate with condoning a parricide." The enmity ofSpain and the popular detestation of the Caraffascaused him to open a process against the relatives ofPaul IV, as a result of which Cardinal Carlo Caraffa and his brother, to whomPaul had given the Duchy of Paliano, were condemned and executed. The sentence was afterwards declaredunjust bySt. Pius V and the memory of the victims vindicated and their estates restored.Cardinal Morone and other dignitaries whomPaul hadimprisoned for suspicion ofheresy were released.

Pius IV now devoted his undivided attention to the completion of the labours of theCouncil of Trent. He was luckier than his predecessors in the youth whom he created cardinal-nephew. This wasSt. Charles Borromeo, the glory ofMilan and of the Universal Church in the sixteenth century. Pius had the satisfaction of seeing the close of the long-continued council and the triumph of thepapacy over the antipapal tendencies which at times asserted themselves. His name is immortally connected with the "Profession of Faith", which must be sworn to by everyone holding anecclesiastical office. The few years which remained to him after the close of the council were devoted to much needed improvements inRome and thepapal states. Unfortunately for his popularity, these works could not be perfected without the imposition of additional taxes. Amid the numerous embellishments with which his name is connected, one of the most useful was the founding of the pontifical printing-office for the issuing of books in all languages. He procured thenecessary type and placed the institution under the able superintendence of Paul Minutius. In addition to the heavy expenses incurred in the fortification and embellishment ofRome, Pius was underobligation to contribute many hundred thousands ofscudi to the support of thewar against theTurks inHungary.

The mildness of Pius IV in dealing with suspects ofheresy, so different from the rigour of his predecessor, made many suspect his ownorthodoxy. A fanatic named Benedetto Ascolti, "inspired by hisguardian angel", made an attempt upon his life. A more formidable foe, the Roman fever, carried him off 9 Dec., 1565, withSt. Philip Neri andSt. Charles Borromeo at his pillow. He wasburied first in St. Peter's, but 4 June, 1583, his remains were transferred toMichelangelo's great church of S. Maria degli Angeli, one of Pius's most magnificent structures. "Pius IV", says the fearless Muratori, "had faults (who is without them?); but they are as nothing compared with his many virtues. His memory shall ever remain in benediction for having brought to a glorious termination theCouncil of Trent; for having reformed all the Roman tribunals; for having maintained order and plenty in his dominion; for having promoted to thecardinalate men of great merit and rare literary ability; finally, for having avoided excess oflove for his kindred, and enrichedRome by the building of so many fine edifices."

CONTACT US |ADVERTISE WITH NEW ADVENT