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Name:
Pope Marcellus II
Born: Marcello Cervini
Preceded by: Julius III (1550 - 1555)
Succeeded by: Paul IV (1555 - 1559)
Roman Catholic Pope #223
Dates:
Born: May 6, 1501 (Italy)
Died: May 1, 1555
Pope: April 9, 1555 - May 1, 1555 (22 days)
Biography:
Pope Marcellus II has the unfortunate distinction of having had one of the shortest
papal reigns in the entire history of the Roman Catholic Church. He is also one of
only two to have retained his original name after election. He had evidently planned
on initiating an ambitious program for reform and hoped to work against abuses
such as nepotism and excessively lifestyles of church officials - but he suffered a
stroke before anything could be done.
Also Known As: none
Alternate Spellings: none
Common Misspellings: none
Related Resources:
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Who or what is the pope? The title pope stems from the Greek word papas, which simply means "father." Early in Christian history it was used as a formal title expressing affectionate respect for any bishop and sometimes even priests. Today it continues to be used in Eastern Orthodox churches for the patriarch of Alexandria.
