Pope from November 23, 1700 - March 19, 1721Lived: July 23, 1649 - March 19, 1721Birth name: Giovanni Francesco Albani
Who was this guy before he was pope? Giovanni Francesco Albani came from a powerful Italian family of Albanian descent. The son of a former Senator of Rome, Giovanni was educated at the Roman college from the age of 11 on, and took to the study of Latin like an American to hot dogs on the 4th of July. He served under Popes Alexander VIII and Innocent XII in various roles, having been named a cardinal (despite his own protests) by the former in 1690. Interestingly enough, Giovanni wasn’t ordained a priest until 1700, celebrating his first Mass just days before entering the conclave that would elect him.
Give me the scoop on Clement XI.Another lengthy conclave was given a jolt by the sudden death of King Charles II of Spain, the last of the Habsburgs. Instead of electing an elderly cardinal, as they had done in the past several conclaves, the cardinals settled on Clement XI who, at just 51 years old, was full of mental and physical energy, renowned for his personal holiness, popular among the Romans, and somewhat experienced in diplomacy.
His primary difficulty was dealing with the Spanish War of Succession, the drama of which extended throughout his entire papacy. Though Clement tried his best to remain neutral, such a task was impossible given that any act was bound to please one side and anger another. Suffice it to say Clement was probably happy to move on to the next life at his death in 1721. While serving as pope, Clement was known to eat and sleep very little. He also heard confessions often and was a gifted preacher. Clement died, fittingly, on the feast of St. Joseph, a saint to whom the holy pope had a great devotion.
What was he known for?During his two decades in office, Pope Clement XI made several key moves on the spiritual side of things, most of which remain in effect today. In 1712, he canonized St. Pius V, the pope who orchestrated Christian victory over the Turks at the Battle of Lepanto, and extended the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary to the Universal Church in 1716. Clement named the great St. Anselm a Doctor of the Church, and also decreed that the Feast of the Immaculate Conception be a Holy Day of Obligation. Clement is credited with writing the “
Universal Prayer,” which (among other uses) was prayed often and recommended by Pope St. John XXIII in his book
Journal of a Soul.
Fun Fact: It’s thanks to Clement XI that we know many details of Roman antiquity. Possessing a fascination for the sciences, particularly archaeology, Clement commissioned the first excavations of the illustrious Roman catacombs, the sites where the first Christians worshipped in secret and buried their dead.
What else was going on in the world at the time?In 1719, Daniel Defoe published his famous work,
Robinson Crusoe.
Coming tomorrow...Pope Innocent XIIISOURCES (and further reading)