Clement VIII

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1592.01.30 to 1605.03.05
Pope #231
Innocent IX (1591)
Leo XI (1605)

Ippolito Aldobrandini
1536.03 in Florence, Italy
1605.03.05 in Rome

Pope Clement VIII

Biography:

Born in Fano, Italy of a wealthy noble family. He studied law in his early years.

Freed Papacy from control

Clement VIII longed to release the control that Spain held over the papacy. In 1593, after lengthy negotiations, King Henry IV of France was persuaded to convert to Catholicism. This helped free the papacy from submission to secular rulers.

Theft of land

When Alfonso II, Duke of Ferrara died childless in 1597, his land was supposed to go to his cousin; however, Clement VIII, who was no longer under fear of Spain, marched an army in and took the land by force, all backed up by Henry IV. The land become the final extension of the Papal States.

Antisemitic

Clement VIII was strongly antisemitic, stating:

"All the world suffers from the usury of the Jews, their monopolies and deceit. They have brought many unfortunate people into a state of poverty, especially the farmers, working class people and the very poor.
Then as now Jews have to be reminded intermittently anew that they were enjoying rights in any country since they left Palestine and the Arabian desert, and subsequently their ethical and moral doctrines as well as their deeds rightly deserve to be exposed to criticism in whatever country they happen to live."

Some decrees he issued:
1592.02.28 Cum saepe accidere: Forbid Jews of Avignon from selling new goods.
1593.02.25 Caeca et obdurata: Re-confirmed Pope Paul III's (1534-1549) Bull expelling Jews from all Papal states except Rome and Ancona.
1593.02.28 Cum Haebraeorum malitia: Forbid Jews from reading the Talmud.

Sixtus V's Vulgate Bible

Sixtus V Bible

Pope Sixtus V (1585-1590) had a version of the Bible published in 1590 which he stamped with the papal Bull Aeternus ille decreeing it to be authentic. No one could change the slightest text or print any other edition under pain of severe punishment. Two years later, Clement VIII declared Sixtus V's version to be full of errors and ordered a new version made while buying back all of Sixtus' copies. Clement tried to void the penalties by naming his version as Sixtus V Edition; but, future copies were marked as the Clementine Edition.

Death

Died of apoplexy.

Rulers & Events:

1558-1603: Queen of England, Elizabeth I

1562-1594: The Wars of Religion, Catholics vs Huguenots

1576-1612: King of Germany, Rudolf II

1576-1612: Holy Roman Emperor, Rudolf II

1589-1610: King of France, Henry IV

1603-1625: King of England, James I (of Scotland)