Pope from December 18, 1352 - September 12, 1362
Lived: 1282 - September 12, 1362
Birth name: Étienne Aubert (Étienne = French form of “Stephen”)
Who was this guy before he was pope?
Born in France, Étienne Aubert was a bit of a latecomer to the Church scene, having taught civil law in Toulouse well into his 50s. He was named Bishop of Noyon in 1338, then Bishop of Clermont in 1340. His papal predecessor, Clement VI, made him a cardinal in 1342, then assigned Étienne as Cardinal-bishop of Ostia just months before his election in 1352.
Okay, give me the scoop on Innocent VI.
The fifth Avignon pope was chosen in conclave in December 1352, but not before a rather sketchy agreement was made among the College of Cardinals themselves. Though some capitulations were innocent enough – like limiting the college’s size to 20 – the majority were clearly an attempt to boost the body’s power, like giving one half of the pope’s income to the college and dividing papal power among the cardinalate. In any case, Innocent VI, who along with several other cardinals had only given conditional assent, put the kibosh on the whole thing as soon as he was elected.
Innocent VI was a fan of Benedict XII’s policies of clearing the riffraff from Avignon and was a savvy administrator in general. Clement VI’s liberal spending had all but bankrupted the papal court, so Innocent had to sell many jewels and works of art just to cover the budget in those early years. He worked to reform religious orders, and also protected Avignon from some nasty marauding bands who had moved into the region. Apparently their music was just terrible.
Innocent VI was a fan of Benedict XII’s policies of clearing the riffraff from Avignon and was a savvy administrator in general. Clement VI’s liberal spending had all but bankrupted the papal court, so Innocent had to sell many jewels and works of art just to cover the budget in those early years. He worked to reform religious orders, and also protected Avignon from some nasty marauding bands who had moved into the region. Apparently their music was just terrible.
Innocent died just months shy of his 10th anniversary, dying in Avignon on September 12, 1362 at the age of 80.
What was he known for?
Pope Innocent VI was best known for effectively paving the way for the papal return to its rightful place in Rome. The first step was sending Cardinal Albornoz, bishop of Toledo, to Rome with instructions to reconquer the Papal States, which had been usurped by various ambitious princes. Albornoz was wildly successful, both on the battlefield and through diplomacy, thus restoring some real papal authority in Italy for the first time in decades. Innocent then agreed to coronate Charles IV of Germany as Holy Roman Emperor, on the condition that he would leave Rome immediately afterward. These two actions finally made the pope's return to Rome a real possibility, one that would, at last, come to fruition within 20 years.
Fun Fact...
The song Ave Verum Corpus, a Eucharistic hymn most famously put to music by Mozart, is commonly attributed to Pope Innocent VI. It was sung during the elevation of the Host at Mass in the Middle Ages and was also sometimes used during Benediction. Read its lyrics here.
What else was going on in the world at the time?
October 18, 1356 marked the worst earthquake in recorded history to ever hit central Europe. Now known simply as the “Basel earthquake,” it leveled the entire city of Basel, Switzerland.
Coming Monday....Blessed Pope Urban V