Pope Innocent XII ( la, Innocentius XII; it, Innocenzo XII; 13 March 1615 – 27 September 1700), born Antonio Pignatelli, was head of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

and ruler of the

Papal States The Papal States ( ; it, Stato Pontificio, ), officially the State of the Church ( it, Stato della Chiesa, ; la, Status Ecclesiasticus;), were a series of territories in the Italian Peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope fro ...

from 12 July 1691 to his death in September 1700. He took a hard stance against

nepotism Nepotism is an advantage, privilege, or position that is granted to relatives and friends in an occupation or field. These fields may include but are not limited to, business, politics, academia, entertainment, sports, fitness, religion, an ...

in the Church, continuing the policies of

Pope Innocent XI Pope Innocent XI ( la, Innocentius XI; it, Innocenzo XI; 16 May 1611 – 12 August 1689), born Benedetto Odescalchi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 21 September 1676 to his death on August 12, 1689. Poli ...

, who started the battle against

but which did not gain traction under

Pope Alexander VIII Pope Alexander VIII ( it, Alessandro VIII; 22 April 1610 – 1 February 1691), born Pietro Vito Ottoboni, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 October 1689 to his death in February 1691. He is to date the las ...

. To that end, he issued a papal bull strictly forbidding it. The pope also used this bull to ensure that no revenue or land could be bestowed on relatives.

Biography

Early life

Antonio Pignatelli was born on 13 March 1615 in

Spinazzola Spinazzola is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Barletta-Andria-Trani, Apulia, southern Italy. People *Pope Innocent XII was born here in the castle of the Pignatelli family, now destroyed. *Michele Ruggieri (1543–1607), Jesuit miss ...

Ott, Michael. "Pope Innocent XII." The Catholic Encyclopedia
Vol. 8. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 4 February 2019 (now in

Apulia it, Pugliese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographic ...

) to one of the most aristocratic families of the

Kingdom of Naples The Kingdom of Naples ( la, Regnum Neapolitanum; it, Regno di Napoli; nap, Regno 'e Napule), also known as the Kingdom of Sicily, was a state that ruled the part of the Italian Peninsula south of the Papal States between 1282 and 1816. It was ...

, which had included several Viceroys and ministers of the crown. He was the fourth of five children of Francesco Pignatelli and Porzia

Carafa Carafa is a surname held by: * Tony Carafa, Australian rules footballer * Members of the house of Carafa See also *Carafa Chapel *Caraffa (disambiguation) Caraffa may refer to: * Caraffa del Bianco, municipality in the Province of Reggio Calabri ...

. His siblings were Marzio, Ludovico, Fabrizio and Paola Maria. He was educated at the

Collegio Romano The Roman College ( la, Collegium Romanum, it, Collegio Romano) was a school established by St. Ignatius of Loyola in 1551, just 11 years after he founded the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). It quickly grew to include classes from elementary school t ...

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

where he earned a

doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''l ...

in both

canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western can ...

and civil law.

Diplomatic career

At the age of 20 he became an official of the

court A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance ...

Pope Urban VIII Pope Urban VIII ( la, Urbanus VIII; it, Urbano VIII; baptised 5 April 1568 – 29 July 1644), born Maffeo Vincenzo Barberini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 August 1623 to his death in July 1644. As po ...

. Pignatelli was the Referendary of the

Apostolic Signatura The Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura () is the highest judicial authority in the Catholic Church (apart from the pope himself, who as supreme ecclesiastical judge is the final point of appeal for any ecclesiastical judgment). In additio ...

and served as the Governor of Fano and Viterbo. Later he went to

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

where he served as an

inquisitor An inquisitor was an official (usually with judicial or investigative functions) in an inquisition – an organization or program intended to eliminate heresy and other things contrary to the doctrine or teachings of the Catholic faith. Literal ...

from 1646 to 1649, and then governor of Perugia. Shortly after this, he received his priestly ordination.

Episcopate and cardinalate

Pignatelli was made Titular Archbishop of Larissa in 1652 and received

episcopal consecration A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or offic ...

in Rome. He served as the

Apostolic Nuncio to Poland The Apostolic Nuncio to Poland is one of the oldest nuncios, appointed by the Pope as apostolic representative to the Roman Catholic Church in Poland. Three nuncios to Poland went on to be elected pope. Three were cardinals at the time of their a ...

from 1660 to 1668 and later in Austria from 1668 to 1671. He was transferred to Lecce in 1671.

appointed him as the Cardinal-Priest of San Pancrazio in 1681 and then moved him to the see of Faenza in 1682. He was moved to his final post before the papacy, as

Archbishop of Naples The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Naples ( la, Archidioecesis Neapolitana) is a Roman Catholic archdioceses in southern Italy, the see being in Naples. A Christian community was founded there in the 1st century AD and the diocese of Naples was r ...

in 1686.

Papacy

Papal election

Médaille annuelle en or du Vatican à l'effigie du Pape Innocent XII, 1695

died in 1691 and the

College of Cardinals The College of Cardinals, or more formally the Sacred College of Cardinals, is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church. its current membership is , of whom are eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope. Cardinals are appoi ...

assembled to hold a

conclave A papal conclave is a gathering of the College of Cardinals convened to elect a bishop of Rome, also known as the pope. Catholics consider the pope to be the apostolic successor of Saint Peter and the earthly head of the Catholic Church. Co ...

to select his successor. Factions loyal to the

Kingdom of France The Kingdom of France ( fro, Reaume de France; frm, Royaulme de France; french: link=yes, Royaume de France) is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the medieval and early modern period. ...

Kingdom of Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

and the broader

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...

failed to agree on a consensus

candidate A candidate, or nominee, is the prospective recipient of an award or honor, or a person seeking or being considered for some kind of position; for example: * to be elected to an office — in this case a candidate selection procedure occurs. * t ...

. After five months, Cardinal Pignatelli emerged as a compromise candidate between the cardinals of

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

and those of the

, particularly after Cardinal

Gregorio Barbarigo Gregorio Giovanni Gaspare Barbarigo (16 September 1625 – 18 June 1697) was an Italian people, Italian Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Cardinal (Catholic), cardinal who served as the Bishop of Bergamo and later as the Bishop of Padua. ...

was no longer considered a viable candidate for the papacy. Having received 53 out of 61 votes, Pignatelli took his new name in honour of

and was crowned on 15 July 1691 by the protodeacon, Cardinal Urbano Sacchetti. He took possession of the

Basilica of Saint John Lateran The Archbasilica Cathedral of the Most Holy Savior and of Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist in the Lateran ( it, Arcibasilica del Santissimo Salvatore e dei Santi Giovanni Battista ed Evangelista in Laterano), also known as the Papa ...

on 13 April 1692.

Actions

Immediately after his election on 12 July 1691, Innocent XII declared his opposition to the

which had afflicted the reigns of previous popes. The following year he issued the papal bull, ''

Romanum decet Pontificem ''Romanum decet Pontificem'' (named for its Latin incipit: "it befits the Roman Pontiff") is a papal bull issued by Pope Innocent XII (1691–1700) on June 22, 1692, banning the office of cardinal-nephew, limiting his successors to elevating on ...

'', banning the

curia Curia (Latin plural curiae) in ancient Rome referred to one of the original groupings of the citizenry, eventually numbering 30, and later every Roman citizen was presumed to belong to one. While they originally likely had wider powers, they came ...

l office of the

Cardinal-Nephew A cardinal-nephew ( la, cardinalis nepos; it, cardinale nipote; es, valido de su tío; pt, cardeal-sobrinho; french: prince de fortune)Signorotto and Visceglia, 2002, p. 114. Modern French scholarly literature uses the term "cardinal-neveu'". ...

and prohibiting popes from bestowing estates, offices, or

revenue In accounting, revenue is the total amount of income generated by the sale of goods and services related to the primary operations of the business. Commercial revenue may also be referred to as sales or as turnover. Some companies receive reven ...

s on any relative. Further, only one relative (and only "if otherwise suitable") was to be raised to the cardinalate. At the same time he sought to check the

simony Simony () is the act of selling church offices and roles or sacred things. It is named after Simon Magus, who is described in the Acts of the Apostles as having offered two disciples of Jesus payment in exchange for their empowering him to imp ...

in the practices of the

Apostolic Chamber The Apostolic Camera ( la, Camera Apostolica), formerly known as the was an office in the Roman Curia. It was the central board of finance in the papal administrative system and at one time was of great importance in the government of the Stat ...

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 invited

Marcello Malpighi Marcello Malpighi (10 March 1628 – 30 November 1694) was an Italian biologist and physician, who is referred to as the "Founder of microscopical anatomy, histology & Father of physiology and embryology". Malpighi's name is borne by several phy ...

to Rome to serve as his personal physician and offered him the position of Professor of Medicine at the

Sapienza The Sapienza University of Rome ( it, Sapienza – Università di Roma), also called simply Sapienza or the University of Rome, and formally the Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza", is a public research university located in Rome, Ita ...

. Malpighi introduced his Roman colleagues to the use of the microscope. Innocent XII also introduced various reforms into the States of the Church including the ''Forum 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 the

Gallican Liberties Gallicanism is the belief that popular civil authority—often represented by the monarch's or the state's authority—over the Catholic Church is comparable to that of the Pope. Gallicanism is a rejection of ultramontanism; it has som ...

which had been formulated by the assembly of 1682. In 1699, he decided in favour of Jacques-Benigne Bossuet in that prelate's controversy with Fénelon about the ''Explication 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 the

Habsburg monarchy The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...

; the first in the 20 years following France's failure to have its candidate elected in

1644 It is one of eight years (CE) to contain each Roman numeral once (1000(M)+500(D)+100(C)+(-10(X)+50(L))+(-1(I)+5(V)) = 1644). Events January–March * January 22 – The Royalist Oxford Parliament is first assembled by King ...

and

1655 Events January–March * January 5 – Emperor Go-Sai ascends to the throne of Japan. * January 7 – Pope Innocent X, leader of the Roman Catholic Church and the Papal States, dies after more than 10 years of rule. * Febr ...

Consistories

Innocent XII created 30 cardinals in four consistories; two of those he elevated were those he reserved ''

in pectore ''In pectore'' (Latin for "in the breast/heart") is a term used in the Catholic Church for an action, decision, or document which is meant to be kept secret. It is most often used when there is a papal appointment to the College of Cardinals wit ...

''.

Canonizations and beatifications

He canonized Saint Zita of Lucca on 5 September 1696. Innocent XII beatified

Augustin Kažotić Blessed Augustin Kažotić ( it, Agostino Casotti, hu, Kazotics Ágoston; 1260 – 3 August 1323) was a Dalmatian-Croatian Roman Catholic prelate and professed member from the Order of Preachers who served as the Bishop of Lucera from 1322 unti ...

on 17 July 1700 and approved the cultus of

Angela of Foligno Angela of Foligno (1248 – 4 January 1309) was an Italian Franciscan tertiary who became known as a mystic from her extensive writings about her mystical revelations. Due to the respect those writings engendered in the Catholic Church she be ...

in 1693. He also beatified Osanna Andreasi on 24 November 1694,

Mary de Cervellione Mary de Cervellione ( ca, Maria de Cervelló; Mary of Cervellon) (1230 at Barcelona – 19 September 1290) was a Catalan superior of a Third Order of Mercedarians. She is a Catholic saint; her following, which began immediately after her de ...

on 13 February 1692, Jane of Portugal on 31 December 1692,

Umiliana de' Cerchi Umiliana de' Cerchi (1219 - 19 May 1246) was an Italian Roman Catholic widow and a member of the Third Order of Saint Francis. She came from the Cerchi family, prominent merchants, and was married in her mid-adolescence as part of a political al ...

on 24 July 1694, Helen Enselmini on 29 October 1695 and Delphine in 1694.

Death

Innocent XII was already considerably ill on 25 December 1699 with

gout Gout ( ) is a form of inflammatory arthritis characterized by recurrent attacks of a red, tender, hot and swollen joint, caused by deposition of monosodium urate monohydrate crystals. Pain typically comes on rapidly, reaching maximal intensit ...

(a rheumatic disease) and was therefore unable to attend the solemn opening of the Holy Door at Saint Peter's Basilica to mark the beginning of the Jubilee for 1700, hence, Cardinal Emmanuel-Théodose de La Tour d'Auvergne represented the pontiff in the solemn celebration. On

Easter Sunday Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the ''Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel ...

in 1700, the seriously ill pontiff gave a blessing from his balcony to the large crowds outside of the

Quirinal Palace The Quirinal Palace ( it, Palazzo del Quirinale ) is a historic building in Rome, Italy, one of the three current official residences of the president of the Italian Republic, together with Villa Rosebery in Naples and the Tenuta di Castelporzian ...

. Despite his illness, he named three new cardinals in June 1700. Innocent died on 27 September 1700 and was succeeded in the next conclave by

Pope Clement XI Pope Clement XI ( la, Clemens XI; it, Clemente XI; 23 July 1649 – 19 March 1721), born Giovanni Francesco Albani, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 23 November 1700 to his death in March 1721. Clement XI w ...

(1700–21). His tomb in

Saint Peter's Basilica The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican ( it, Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano), or simply Saint Peter's Basilica ( la, Basilica Sancti Petri), is a church built in the Renaissance style located in Vatican City, the papal e ...

was sculpted by

Filippo della Valle Filippo della Valle (26 December 1698 – 29 April 1768) was an Italian late-Baroque or early Neoclassic sculptor, active mostly in Rome. Biography Della Valle was born in Florence. Initially apprenticed with Giovanni Battista Foggini in F ...

In fiction

Innocent appears as one of the narrators in

Robert Browning Robert Browning (7 May 1812 – 12 December 1889) was an English poet and playwright whose dramatic monologues put him high among the Victorian poets. He was noted for irony, characterization, dark humour, social commentary, historical settings ...

's long poem ''

The Ring and the Book ''The Ring and the Book'' is a long dramatic narrative poem, and, more specifically, a verse novel, of 21,000 lines, written by Robert Browning. It was published in four volumes from 1868 to 1869 by Smith, Elder & Co. Plot outline The book t ...

'' (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 have decorative

facial hair Facial hair is hair grown on the face, usually on the chin, cheeks, and upper lip region. It is typically a secondary sex characteristic of human males. Men typically start developing facial hair in the later stages of puberty or adolescence, ...

References

Bibliography

*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). *Pastor, Ludwig (1891). ''The history of the popes from the close of the Middle Ages'
Volume 32
London: Kegan, Paul, Trench, Trubner. *Pellegrino, B. (ed.). ''Riforme, religione e politica durante il pontificato di Innocenzo XII (1691-1700)'' Lecce 1994. ollection 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.

Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Innocent 12 Italian popes People from the Province of Barletta-Andria-Trani 17th-century Italian Roman Catholic archbishops Archbishops of Naples 1615 births 1700 deaths Apostolic Nuncios to Poland 17th-century popes Popes House of Pignatelli House of Carafa Apostolic Nuncios to the Republic of Florence Inquisitors of Malta Burials at St. Peter's Basilica