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Name:
Pope Paul III
Born: Alessandro Farnese
Preceded by: Clement VII (1523 - 1534)
Succeeded by: Julius III (1550 - 1555)
Roman Catholic Pope #221
Dates:
Born: February 29, 1468 (Rome, Italy)
Died: November 10, 1549
Pope: October 12, 1534 - November 10, 1549 (15 years)
Biography:
Paul III was the first pope of the Counter Reformation, inaugurating the Council of
Trent on December 13, 1547. Paul was generally reform-minded, but he was also a strong
supporter of the Jesuits, an organization which worked diligently to enforce orthodoxy
within the Catholic Church, and formally recognized them in the bull Regimini
militantis ecclesiae.
As part of the effort to fight Protestantism, he excommunicated Henry VIII of England in 1538 because of the later's divorce from Catherine of Aragon, a key event in the English Reformation. He also encouraged Charles V in his war against the Schmalkaldic League, an alliance of German Protestants who were fighting for their right to separate themselves from the Roman Catholic Church.
Although he chastised others for their cruelty towards Protestants and on the other hand, he also established the Index of Forbidden Books as part of the effort to shield Catholics from heretical views. He also formally established the Congregation of the Roman Inquisition, officially known as the Holy Office, which was given wide powers of both censorship and prosecution.
Despite such excesses, Paul was a strong supporter of the arts. He commissioned Michelangelo to paint his famous Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel and to supervise architectural work on the new St. Peter's Basilica. He was also, unfortunately, a strong supporter of nepotism. Even after he declared that the college of cardinals had to be reformed, he promoted two of his grandsons to cardinals - one was 14 years old and the was 16 years old. Curiously, extravagant support of the arts and extravagant nepotism were characteristic of many renaissance popes.
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.
