Eighteenth Century: Eight Popes
243.Clement XI, 1700-1721. He had drafted the Bull outlawing nepotism, but was ordained priest only in 1700. Fifty-one years old, devout and austere. He was decisive in combating the malign influence of Jansenism, was keenly interested in missionary work. He it was who decided finally not to approve of Chinese rites, with subsequent persecution of Catholic Chinese who were no longer able to participate in civic ceremonies regarded as essential by the state. His prohibition was only lifted, finally, by Pius XII in 1939. A generous patron of the arts and scholarship, he it was who sent the famous Assemani to the East to collect manuscripts for the Vatican Library. Italian.
244. Innocent XIII, 1721-1724. A skilful diplomat, he sought peace for Europe, recognized the "Old Pretender" James III as king of England. He opposed the Jesuits, chiefly because of their disobedience over the question of Chinese rites. His short reign was renewed opposition to Jansenism within the Church. Italian.
245. Benedict XIII, 1724-1730. A Dominican friar, he tried as best he could to be a pastoral Pope, delighting in visiting his diocese, administering the sacraments and giving religious instruction. His lack of experience in political and worldly affairs led him to trust an unscrupulous man, Niccolo Coscia who impoverished the Papal States through embezzlement, and earned the Pope many undeserved enemies. Benedict was too holy to be a good administrator, and too poor a judge of men to be a good Pope. Italian.
246. Clement XII, 1730-1740. Seventy-nine years old when elected, bedridden, he nevertheless tried to make up for the excesses of Coscia by bringing him to trial, imposing huge fines and imprisoning him for ten years in Castel Sant' Angelo. During his Pontificate the increasing ineffectualness of the Papacy in international affairs continued apace. He issued the first Papal condemnation of freemasonry (April 28, 1738), was a great supporter of the Maronites of Lebanon. Helped by the wealth of his own family, he did much to put the finances of the papacy on a sound footing. He it was who erected the famous Trevi Fountains in Rome. He went blind two years after being elected. Italian.
247. Benedict XIV, 1740-1758. The new Pope combined a very attractive personality with diplomatic skills of an unusually high caliber. Historians regard him as one of the greatest Popes ever to occupy the See of Peter. Moderate, tolerant, wise in extreme, he anticipated the revolutions that were threatening, and always managed to secure the peace without compromising on principles. Incidentally he never clung on to. He forbade his relatives to visit him, reduce the size of his tiny army whose uselessness he was convinced of, supported the people against great land owners and speculators, was concerned with justice and truth. He created chairs of chemistry, physics and mathematics at Rome University, supported the natural sciences, and two centuries before other universities did so, created two chairs for female professors. He also endowed a chair of anatomy in Bologna. Montesqieu called him 'The Scholar's Pope'. At the age of eighty three this great Pope died. His last words were: 'I am going in silence and oblivion to the one place that belongs to me.' He was never offended by personal insult. When a pope derided him in satirical verse, he corrected the verse, and sent it back with a note saying that he hoped it would sell better if it were better expressed. He used to enjoy the caricatures of Pier Leone Ghezzi which spared neither him nor the cardinals. Macaulay called him the best and wisest of Peter's successors. Horace Walpole's son erected a statue to him in his gallery and described him as a priest beloved of Catholics and esteemed by Protestants; without selfishness, a prince with no favourites, a Pope without nepotism, and a scholar without pride. Bolognese.
243.Clement XI, 1700-1721. He had drafted the Bull outlawing nepotism, but was ordained priest only in 1700. Fifty-one years old, devout and austere. He was decisive in combating the malign influence of Jansenism, was keenly interested in missionary work. He it was who decided finally not to approve of Chinese rites, with subsequent persecution of Catholic Chinese who were no longer able to participate in civic ceremonies regarded as essential by the state. His prohibition was only lifted, finally, by Pius XII in 1939. A generous patron of the arts and scholarship, he it was who sent the famous Assemani to the East to collect manuscripts for the Vatican Library. Italian.
244. Innocent XIII, 1721-1724. A skilful diplomat, he sought peace for Europe, recognized the "Old Pretender" James III as king of England. He opposed the Jesuits, chiefly because of their disobedience over the question of Chinese rites. His short reign was renewed opposition to Jansenism within the Church. Italian.
245. Benedict XIII, 1724-1730. A Dominican friar, he tried as best he could to be a pastoral Pope, delighting in visiting his diocese, administering the sacraments and giving religious instruction. His lack of experience in political and worldly affairs led him to trust an unscrupulous man, Niccolo Coscia who impoverished the Papal States through embezzlement, and earned the Pope many undeserved enemies. Benedict was too holy to be a good administrator, and too poor a judge of men to be a good Pope. Italian.
246. Clement XII, 1730-1740. Seventy-nine years old when elected, bedridden, he nevertheless tried to make up for the excesses of Coscia by bringing him to trial, imposing huge fines and imprisoning him for ten years in Castel Sant' Angelo. During his Pontificate the increasing ineffectualness of the Papacy in international affairs continued apace. He issued the first Papal condemnation of freemasonry (April 28, 1738), was a great supporter of the Maronites of Lebanon. Helped by the wealth of his own family, he did much to put the finances of the papacy on a sound footing. He it was who erected the famous Trevi Fountains in Rome. He went blind two years after being elected. Italian.
247. Benedict XIV, 1740-1758. The new Pope combined a very attractive personality with diplomatic skills of an unusually high caliber. Historians regard him as one of the greatest Popes ever to occupy the See of Peter. Moderate, tolerant, wise in extreme, he anticipated the revolutions that were threatening, and always managed to secure the peace without compromising on principles. Incidentally he never clung on to. He forbade his relatives to visit him, reduce the size of his tiny army whose uselessness he was convinced of, supported the people against great land owners and speculators, was concerned with justice and truth. He created chairs of chemistry, physics and mathematics at Rome University, supported the natural sciences, and two centuries before other universities did so, created two chairs for female professors. He also endowed a chair of anatomy in Bologna. Montesqieu called him 'The Scholar's Pope'. At the age of eighty three this great Pope died. His last words were: 'I am going in silence and oblivion to the one place that belongs to me.' He was never offended by personal insult. When a pope derided him in satirical verse, he corrected the verse, and sent it back with a note saying that he hoped it would sell better if it were better expressed. He used to enjoy the caricatures of Pier Leone Ghezzi which spared neither him nor the cardinals. Macaulay called him the best and wisest of Peter's successors. Horace Walpole's son erected a statue to him in his gallery and described him as a priest beloved of Catholics and esteemed by Protestants; without selfishness, a prince with no favourites, a Pope without nepotism, and a scholar without pride. Bolognese.
© Annals Australia 0