Pope Pius IV

Pope Pius IV
Bishop of Rome
Portrait by Scipione Pulzone, c. 1560s Portrait by Scipione Pulzone, c. 1560s
Church	Catholic Church
Papacy began	25 December 1559
Papacy ended	9 December 1565
Predecessor	Paul IV
Successor	Pius V
Previous posts	Archbishop of Ragusa (1545–1553) Cardinal-Priest of Santa Pudenziana (1549–1550) Cardinal-Priest of Santa Anastasia (1550–1552) Apostolic Administrator of Cassano all'Jonio (1553–1556) Cardinal-Priest of San Stefano al Monte Celio (1553–1557) Bishop of Foligno (1556–1557) Cardinal-Priest of Santa Prisca (1557–1559) Apostolic Administrator of Milan (1559–1560)
Orders
Ordination	14 December 1545
Consecration	20 April 1546 by Filippo Archinto
Created cardinal	8 April 1549 by Paul III
Personal details
Born	Giovanni Angelo Medici 31 March 1499 Milan, Duchy of Milan
Died	9 December 1565 (aged 66) Rome, Papal States
Other popes named Pius

Pope Pius IV (Italian: Pio IV; 31 March 1499 – 9 December 1565), born Giovanni Angelo Medici, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 25 December 1559 to his death, in December 1565.

Born in Milan, his family considered itself a branch of the House of Medici and used the same coat of arms. Although modern historians have found no proof of this connection, the Medici of Florence recognised the claims of the Medici of Milan in the early 16th century.

Pope Paul III appointed Medici Archbishop of Ragusa, and sent him on diplomatic missions to the Holy Roman Empire and Hungary. He presided over the final session of the Council of Trent. His nephew, Cardinal Charles Borromeo, was a close adviser. As pope, Pius IV initiated a number of building projects in Rome, including one to improve the water supply.

Life

Early life

Giovanni Angelo Medici was born in Milan on 31 March 1499 as the second of eleven children to Bernardino Medici and Clelia Serbelloni.

Giovanni Medici was the younger brother of condottiero Gian Giacomo Medici, and the maternal uncle of Charles Borromeo. Medici studied philosophy and medicine in Pavia.

After studying at University of Bologna and acquiring a reputation as a jurist he obtained his doctorate in both canon and civil law on 11 May 1525. Medici went in 1527 to Rome, and as a favourite of Pope Paul III was rapidly promoted to the governorship of several towns, the archbishopric of Ragusa (1545–1553), and the vice-legateship of Bologna.

Cardinalate

On 8 April 1549, Pope Paul III made Medici a cardinal, receiving his red hat and titular church title on the following 10 May. Under Papal authority, he was sent on diplomatic missions to the Holy Roman Empire and also to Hungary.

Pontificate

Election

On the death of Pope Paul IV, he was elected pope on 25 December 1559, taking the name Pius IV, and installed on 6 January 1560. His first public acts of importance were to grant a general pardon to the participants in the riot after the death of his predecessor, and to bring to trial the nephews of his predecessor. One, Cardinal Carlo Carafa, was strangled, and Duke Giovanni Carafa of Paliano, with his nearest associates, was beheaded.

Council of Trent

On 18 January 1562 the Council of Trent, which had been suspended by Pope Julius III, was convened by Pius IV for the third and final time. Great skill and caution were necessary to effect a settlement of the questions before it, inasmuch as the three principal nations taking part in it, though at issue with regard to their own special demands, were prepared to unite their forces against the demands of Rome. Pius IV, however, aided by Giovanni Morone and Charles Borromeo, proved himself equal to the emergency, and by judicious management – and concession – brought the council to a termination satisfactory to the disputants and favourable to the pontifical authority. Its definitions and decrees were confirmed by a papal bull ("Benedictus Deus") dated 26 January 1564; and, though they were received with certain limitations by France and Spain, the famous Creed of Pius IV, or Tridentine Creed, became an authoritative expression of the Catholic faith. The more marked manifestations of stringency during his pontificate appear to have been prompted rather than spontaneous, his personal character inclining him to moderation and ease.

So, although he summoned Jeanne d'Albret, the Queen of Navarre, before the Inquisition on a charge of Calvinism, he backed down after the indignant protest of Charles IX of France. In the same year he published a bull granting the use of the cup to the laity of Austria and Bohemia. One of his strongest passions appears to have been that of building, which somewhat strained his resources in contributing to the adornment of Rome (including the new Porta Pia and Via Pia, named after him, and the northern extension (Addizione) of the rione of Borgo), and in carrying on the work of restoration, erection, and fortification in various parts of the ecclesiastical states.

On the other hand, others bemoaned the austere Roman culture during his papacy; Giorgio Vasari in 1567 spoke of a time when "the grandeurs of this place reduced by stinginess of living, dullness of dress, and simplicity in so many things; Rome is fallen into much misery, and if it is true that Christ loved poverty and the City wishes to follow in his steps she will quickly become beggarly...".

Doctrinal teachings

In addition to Benedictus Deus, Pius issued a papal bull on 24 March 1564 entitled Dominici Gregis Custodiae which set out the rules for forbidding books, including the stipulation that reading a vernacular translation of the Old Testament was restricted to learned and pious men who had episcopal permission.

Consistories

Pius IV created 46 cardinals in four consistories during his pontificate, and elevated three nephews to the cardinalate, including Charles Borromeo. The pope also made Ugo Boncompagni, who would later be elected Pope Gregory XIII, a cardinal. In 1561, the pope nominated Daniele Barbaro as a cardinal "in pectore"; however, the nomination was never publicly revealed. In 1565, Pius IV offered the cardinalate to Jean Parisot de Valette, the grand master of the Order of Malta, in recognition for his defense of Malta against the Ottoman Empire; however, he declined the pope's invitation.

Conspiracy

A conspiracy against Pope Pius IV was discovered and suppressed in 1565. The plot was led by Benedetto Accolti, who planned to present the Pope with a demand for his abdication and, if that failed, to assassinate him with a poisoned dagger. Accolti's motivations were partly personal, but also stemmed from dissatisfaction among Romans with Pius IV's pontificate, particularly his tax increases. Accolti was the illegitimate son of a cardinal.

Roman ghetto

The strict laws established by Pope Paul IV establishing the Jewish Roman Ghetto were loosened by Pius IV, allowing Jews to own property worth up to 1500 ducats, and to do business of any kind with Christians except hire them as servants. Rent in the ghetto could not be "exorbitant", but would be set by the executive of the city.

Architectural achievements

During the reign of Pius IV, Michelangelo rebuilt the basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli (in Diocletian's Baths) and the eponymous Villa Pia, now known as Casina Pio IV, in the Vatican Gardens designed by Pirro Ligorio. It is now the headquarters of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. He also assigned Michelangelo to build Porta Pia.

Pius IV also ordered public construction to improve the water supply of Rome.

Beatifications

During his papacy, Pius IV canonised no saints and only beatified one individual, Gundisalvus of Amarante, on 16 September 1561.

Death

Pius IV died on 9 December 1565 from complications following an infection in the urinary tract and a high fever. He was buried in Santa Maria degli Angeli on 4 January 1583 after his remains were initially housed at Saint Peter's Basilica. His successor was Pius V.

Pius IV suffered from many illnesses such as gout which restricted his mobility. Giacomo Soranzo remarked between May and August 1565 to the Venetian Senate about the pope's health, commenting that he possessed a great natural vigor. However, gout impeded movement in his legs, shoulders, arms, and hands. Sorzano also mentioned that this meant that the pope, more often than not, needed to be carried in the sedia gestatoria to avoid walking. Pius IV also suffered from a major illness in 1564 from which he recovered.

However, the pope fell ill eight days before his death with a constant fever throughout the duration. Borromeo, who arrived in Rome during the evening on 8 December, was with the pope when Pius died alongside Saint Philip Neri.

See also

• Cardinals created by Pius IV
• House of Medici
• List of popes from the Medici family

From the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia

Pope Pius IV — (Giovanni Angelo Medici).

B. 31 March, 1499, at Milan; elected 26 December, 1559; d. in Rome 9 Dec., 1565. The Medici of Milan lived in humble circumstances and the proud Florentine house of the same name claimed no kindred with them until Cardinal Medici was seated on the papal throne. His father Bernardino had settled in Milan and gained his livelihood by farming the taxes. Bernardino had two enterprising sons, both able to rise in the world by different roads. The oldest, Giangiacomo, became a soldier of fortune and after an adventurous career received from the emperor the title of Marchese di Marignano. He commanded the imperial troops who conquered Siena. Giovanni Angelo was as successful with his books as his brother with his sword. He made his studies first at Pavia, then at Bologna, devoting himself to philosophy, medicine, and law, in the last mentioned branch taking the degree of doctor. He gained some reputation as a jurist. In his twenty-eighth year he determined to embrace the ecclesiastical state and seek his fortune in Rome. He arrived in the Eternal City, 26 Dec., 1527, just thirty-two years to a day before his election to the papacy. From Clement VII he obtained the office of prothonotary, and by his intelligence, industry, and trustworthiness commended himself to Paul III who entertained the greatest confidence in his integrity and ability and employed him in the governorship of many cities of the papal states. In the last year of Paul III's reign, Medici, whose brother had married an Orsini, sister to the pope's daughter- in-law, was created cardinal-priest with the title of S. Pudenziana. Julius III made him legate in Romagna and commander of the papal troops. The antipathy of Paul IV was rather to his advantage than otherwise; for in the reaction which followed the death of that morose pontiff all eyes finally settled on the man who in every respect was Paul's opposite. The conclave dragged along for over three months, when it was obvious that neither the French nor the Spanish-Austrian faction could win the election. Then, mainly through the exertions of Cardinal Farnese, the conclave by acclamation pronounced in favour of Medici. He was crowned 6 Jan., 1560, and took the name of Pius IV.

His first official act was to grant an amnesty to those who had outraged the memory of his predecessor, Paul IV; but he refused clemency to Pompeio Colonna, who had murdered his mother-in-law. "God forbid", he said, "that I should begin my pontificate with condoning a parricide." The enmity of Spain and the popular detestation of the Caraffas caused him to open a process against the relatives of Paul IV, as a result of which Cardinal Carlo Caraffa and his brother, to whom Paul had given the Duchy of Paliano, were condemned and executed. The sentence was afterwards declared unjust by St. Pius V and the memory of the victims vindicated and their estates restored. Cardinal Morone and other dignitaries whom Paul had imprisoned for suspicion of heresy were released.

Pius IV now devoted his undivided attention to the completion of the labours of the Council of Trent. He was luckier than his predecessors in the youth whom he created cardinal-nephew. This was St. Charles Borromeo, the glory of Milan and of the Universal Church in the sixteenth century. Pius had the satisfaction of seeing the close of the long-continued council and the triumph of the papacy over the antipapal tendencies which at times asserted themselves. His name is immortally connected with the "Profession of Faith", which must be sworn to by everyone holding an ecclesiastical office. The few years which remained to him after the close of the council were devoted to much needed improvements in Rome and the papal states. Unfortunately for his popularity, these works could not be perfected without the imposition of additional taxes. Amid the numerous embellishments with which his name is connected, one of the most useful was the founding of the pontifical printing-office for the issuing of books in all languages. He procured the necessary type and placed the institution under the able superintendence of Paul Minutius. In addition to the heavy expenses incurred in the fortification and embellishment of Rome, Pius was under obligation to contribute many hundred thousands of scudi to the support of the war against the Turks in Hungary.

The mildness of Pius IV in dealing with suspects of heresy, so different from the rigour of his predecessor, made many suspect his own orthodoxy. A fanatic named Benedetto Ascolti, "inspired by his guardian angel", made an attempt upon his life. A more formidable foe, the Roman fever, carried him off 9 Dec., 1565, with St. Philip Neri and St. Charles Borromeo at his pillow. He was buried first in St. Peter's, but 4 June, 1583, his remains were transferred to Michelangelo's great church of S. Maria degli Angeli, one of Pius's most magnificent structures. "Pius IV", says the fearless Muratori, "had faults (who is without them?); but they are as nothing compared with his many virtues. His memory shall ever remain in benediction for having brought to a glorious termination the Council of Trent; for having reformed all the Roman tribunals; for having maintained order and plenty in his dominion; for having promoted to the cardinalate men of great merit and rare literary ability; finally, for having avoided excess of love for his kindred, and enriched Rome by the building of so many fine edifices."

RANKE, History of the Popes in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries; MURATORI, Annali d'Italia; VON REUMONT, Geschichte der Stadt Rom; ARTAND DE MONTOR, History of the Popes (New York, 1867).

Further reading

• Artaud de Montor, Alexis Francois (1911). The Lives and Times of the Popes. Vol. V. New York: Catholic Publication Society of America.
• Freedberg, Sydney J. (1993). Painting in Italy, 1500–1600. Pelican History of Art. Penguin Books Ltd. p. 429.
• Pastor, Ludwig, Freiherr von (1928). The History of the Popes from the close of the Middle Ages. Volume XV, Volume XVI (1928). London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co.
• Pattenden, Miles (2013). Pius IV and the Fall of The Carafa: Nepotism and Papal Authority in Counter-Reformation Rome. Oxford: Oxford University Press 2013.
• Robinson, Adam Patrick. "Morone, Pius IV and the Resumption of the Council, December 1559–March 1563." in The Career of Cardinal Giovanni Morone (1509–1580) (Routledge, 2016) pp. 125–150.
• Waterworth, James, ed. The Canons and Decrees of the Sacred and Œcumenical Council of Trent: Celebrated Under the Sovereign Pontiffs, Paul III, Julius III and Pius IV (C. Dolman, 1848) online.
• Bonora, Elena (2014). Roma 1564: La congiura contro il papa (in Italian). Rome: Gius. Laterza & Figli Spa. ISBN 978-88-581-1379-0.
• Hinojosa, R. de (1889), Felipe II y el conclave de 1559, según los documentos originales, muchos inéditos. Madrid 1889.
• Rendina, Claudio (1984). I papi. Storia e segreti. Rome: Newton Compton.

External links

• Loughlin, James Francis (1911). "Pope Pius IV". Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 12.
• "Pius". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 21 (11th ed.). 1911. pp. 684–685.
• Catholic Hierarchy, Pope Pius IV
• Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, Cardinal Medici
• Works by Pope Pius IV at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)