Pope from May 16, 1605 - January 28, 1621
Lived: September 17, 1550 - January 28, 1621
Birth name: Camillo Borghese
Who was this guy before he was pope?
Though Camillo Borghese was born in Rome, he hailed from a noble Sienan family that claimed relation to the great St. Catherine. Becoming an accomplished canon lawyer in his younger years, Camillo was greatly devoted to his craft even after being made a cardinal and Vicar of Rome by Clement VIII in 1596.
Give me the scoop on Paul V.
Unsurprisingly, the conclave to elect a new pope was rife with bickering between the French and Spanish. As a result, Pope Paul V emerged quickly as a compromise candidate, given that he tended to stay out of party-politicking and was reform-minded to boot. As pope, Paul was as by-the-book as they come. He renewed the Council of Trent’s decrees to the letter, first and foremost of which included sending any absentee bishops and cardinals packing for home. He formally endorsed the Capuchins as a distinct offshoot of the Franciscan order in 1618, and also battled the anti-Catholicism that continued to rage in England under James I. Paul V died of a stroke on January 28, 1621 at the age of 70.
What was he known for?
Paul V is best known for beginning the Church’s involvement in the so-called “Galileo Controversy.” Background: Most scientists at the time were geocentrists (earth-at-the-center), but Copernicus had proposed heliocentrism (sun-at-the-center) a century earlier, at least in theory. We say “theory,” because heliocentrism couldn’t be scientifically proven yet, but that didn’t seem to matter to Galileo.
His trip into hot water started in 1616 with an order from Cardinal Bellarmine to not claim scientific certitude of heliocentrism (which Galileo had begun to do), followed by a meeting with Paul V to the same effect. This episode, however, ended with a “To be continued…” as Galileo’s case wouldn’t wrap up until after Paul’s death. Who doesn’t love a good cliffhanger?
Fun Fact: Pope Paul V was a saint-making machine. During his 16-year reign, Paul canonized (among many others) St. Charles Borromeo and St. Frances of Rome, and also beatified Sts. Ignatius of Loyola, Francis Xavier, Philip Neri, Teresa of Avila, Louis Bertrand, Thomas of Villanova, and Isidore the Farmer.
What else was going on in the world at the time?
September 8, 1620 saw the Mayflower depart from England (September 8) for the third time. It finally arrived two months later at Cape Cod (present-day Massachusetts).
SOURCES (and further reading)
You're seeing two popes because we want to make sure you get all the popes before New Year's. Don't worry, we'll only be doubling up a few times in the coming weeks :-)