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Name:
Pope Clement XIV
Born: Giovanni Vincenzo Antonio Ganganelli
Preceded by: Clement XIII (1758 - 1769)
Succeeded by: Pius VI (1775 - 1799)
Roman Catholic Pope #250
Dates:
Born: October 31, 1765
Died: September 22, 1774
Pope: May 19, 1769 - September 22, 1774 (5 years)
Biography:
Originally a Franciscan friar, Clement XIV was elected by a conclave which was beset
by pressure from various Catholic sovereigns who were anxious that no one who
supported the Jesuits be chosen. On August 16, 1773 he issued the papal bull
Dominus ac Redemptor noster, suppressing them and they were not revived again
until 1814 by Pope Pius VII.
There is still some question today as to whether or not Clement acted out of personal conviction that the Jesuits were a problem or rather out of subservience to Catholic political leaders. At one point in the bull he offered a reason he may have wished were true, stating that the Jesuits "can no longer bring forth the abundant fruits or be of the usefulness for which it was founded." Later, however, he wrote what was probably a more genuine reason, stating that so long as the Jesuits continued to exist, "it is hardly, if at all, possible to restore a true and lasting peace to the Church."
Also Known As: none
Alternate Spellings: none
Common Misspellings: none
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