Pope Clement VIII
Pope Clement VIII (Latin: Clemens VIII; Italian: Clemente VIII; 24 February 1536 – 3 March 1605), born Ippolito Aldobrandini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 February 1592 to his death, in March 1605.
Clement VIII | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Rome | |
Portrait by an unknown Italian artist, 17th century | |
| Church | Catholic Church |
| Papacy began | 30 January 1592 |
| Papacy ended | 3 March 1605 |
| Predecessor | Innocent IX |
| Successor | Leo XI |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 31 December 1580 |
| Consecration | 2 February 1592 by Alfonso Gesualdo di Conza |
| Created cardinal | 18 December 1585 by Sixtus V |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ippolito Aldobrandini 24 February 1536 |
| Died | 3 March 1605 (aged 69) Rome, Papal States |
| Previous post(s) |
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| Coat of arms | |
| Other popes named Clement | |
| Papal styles of Pope Clement VIII | |
|---|---|
| Reference style | His Holiness |
| Spoken style | Your Holiness |
| Religious style | Holy Father |
Born in Fano, Italy to a prominent Florentine family, he initially came to prominence as a canon lawyer before being made a Cardinal-Priest in 1585. In 1592 he was elected Pope and took the name of Clement. During his papacy he effected the reconciliation of Henry IV of France to the Catholic faith and was instrumental in setting up an alliance of Christian nations to oppose the Ottoman Empire in the so-called Long War. He also successfully adjudicated in a bitter dispute between the Dominicans and the Jesuits on the issue of efficacious grace and free will. In 1600 he presided over a jubilee which saw many pilgrimages to Rome. He presided over the trial and execution of Giordano Bruno and implemented strict measures against Jewish residents of the Papal States. He may have been the first pope to drink coffee.
Clement VIII died at the age of 69 in 1605 and his remains now rest in the Roman church of Santa Maria Maggiore.