Pope Leo XI

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Leo XI
Image:B Leo XI.jpg
Birth name Alessandro Ottaviano de' Medici
Papacy began April 1, 1605
Papacy ended April 27, 1605
Predecessor Clement VIII
Successor Paul V
Born June 2 1535(1535-06-02)
Florence, Italy
Died April 27 1605 (aged 69)
Rome, Italy
Other popes named Leo
Image:Leo 11.jpg
Coat of Arms of Pope Leo XI.

Pope Leo XI (June 2, 1535April 27, 1605), born Alessandro Ottaviano de' Medici, was Pope from April 1, 1605 to April 27 of the same year.

[edit] Biography

He was born in Florence: his mother, Francesca Salviati, was a daughter of Giacomo Salviati and Lucrezia de' Medici, a sister of Leo X, while his father, Ottaviano, was a more distant scion of the Medici family. After a late start, he was ordained priest, and Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, sent him as an appropriate ambassador to Pope Pius V, a position which he held for fifteen years. Gregory XIII made him bishop of Pistoia in 1573, archbishop of Florence in 1574, and cardinal in 1583.

In 1596, Clement VIII sent him as legate to France where Maria de' Medici was queen. Alessandro was a friend and disciple of St. Philip Neri.

On March 14, 1605, eleven days after the death of Clement VIII, 62 cardinals entered the conclave. Prominent among the candidates for the papacy were the great historian Baronius and the famous Jesuit controversialist Robert Bellarmine. But Aldobrandini, the leader of the Italian party among the cardinals, allied with the French cardinals and brought about the election of Alessandro against the express wish of King Philip III of Spain. King Henry IV of France is said to have spent 300,000 écus in the promotion of Alessandro's candidacy. On April 1, 1605, Alessandro ascended the papal throne with the Medici name Leo XI, being then almost seventy years of age, but was taken ill immediately after his coronation and died within the month.

He was nicknamed Papa Lampo ("Lightning Pope") for the brevity of his pontificate.


[edit] References

  • original text from the 9th edition (1882) of a famous encyclopedia.

[edit] External links


Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
Clement VIII
Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Peter (deprecated A.D. 495), Vicar of Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles
Supreme Pontiff (Pontifex Maximus)
Patriarch of the West (deprecated 2006), Primate of Italy,
Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province
Servant of the Servants of God
Pope

1605
Succeeded by
Paul V


bg:Лъв XI

ca:Lleó XI de:Leo XI. et:Leo XI el:Πάπας Λέων ΙΑ΄ es:León XI fr:Léon XI gl:León XI, papa ko:교황 레오 11세 id:Paus Leo XI is:Leó 11. it:Papa Leone XI jv:Paus Leo XI ka:ლეო XI sw:Papa Leo XI la:Leo XI hu:XI. Leó pápa mr:पोप लिओ अकरावा nl:Paus Leo XI ja:レオ11世 (ローマ教皇) no:Leo XI pl:Leon XI pt:Papa Leão XI ru:Лев XI (папа римский) fi:Leo XI sv:Leo XI th:สมเด็จพระสันตะปาปาลีโอที่ 11 zh:良十一世

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