Sede Vacante 1555

	AG giulio •ANCONA• \| S•PETRVS St. Peter, full length, standing, facing forward..
	•SEDE•V \| ACANTE• Arms of Guido Ascanio Card.Sforza, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church (1537-1564), surmounted by the Ombrellone, crossed keys. Berman, p. 102 #1031.

GUIDO ASCANIO CARDINAL SFORZA (1518-1564) was the son of Bosio Sforza, Conte di Santa Fiora e Cotignola, and Costanza Farnese, the legitimized daughter of Alessandro Farnese (Pope Paul III). He became Cardinal at the age of sixteen on December 18, 1534, in his grandfather's first Consistory. He was named Bishop of Parma (1535-1560), and became Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church in 1537 at the age of 19, a post he held until his death on October 6, 1564. He served as Legate of Bologna and the Romagna ( from 1537), and was Papal Legate in Hungary in 1540. He presided over the Interregnum of 1549-50, the two interregna of 1555, and that of 1559.

Pope Julius III (Ciocchi del Monte) died on March 23, 1555, of stomach troubles (according to Pallavicino, 132).

On April 5, the first conclave of 1555 opened, with between 36 and 39 cardinals in attendance. The conclave began as a nasty struggle between the Emperor Charles V's cardinals and those of the French king, Henri II. The French faction was led by Cardinal Ippolito II d' Este (Pallavicino, 136), who had lately (1552-1554) been the ruler of Parma on behalf of Henri II of France, a personal friend and patron. Though a cardinal, d' Este was not yet in Holy Orders. His lifestyle did not indicate that he was in any way interested in reform of the Church, and the connections of his family (the ducal family of Ferrara) with France made him unacceptable to the Emperor Charles..

But the reformers, led by Cardinals Ranuccio Farnese and Guido Ascanio Sforza, managed to put together sufficient votes to elect Cardinal Marcello Cervini (Marcellus II), a papal diplomat who had been President of the Council of Trent. He had been nuncio successively to the French King, Francis I, and to the Emperor Charles V, to whom he was acceptable. On April 9, with fifty-five cardinals in attendance, he was proclaimed pope by "adoration", and crowned the next day. After twenty-two days in office, he died of a stroke.

The second Interregnum lasted from May 1 to May 23. On May 15, the Conclave began with forty-four (Pallavicino) or forty-five (Bramato) cardinals present; eventually all fifty-six cardinals were present. The Imperial Ambassador informed Cardinal Carafa that he should not seek election to the papacy, as the Emperor Charles V was opposed to him and would invoke the Veto (exclusiva). Carafa replied that if God wanted him to be pope, the Emperor had no power to stop it.

Those favorable to the Emperor were considering Cardinals Carpi, Polus and Moroni, all of whom were unacceptable to the French interest. Alexander Cardinal Farnese (who had played no role in the politics of the first conclave) and Cardinal d'Este proposed Carafa. In his turn Carafa suggested Cardinal de' Nobili, a person of exemplary piety. The cardinals elected one of the leaders of the reform party, the Dean of the College of Cardinals, the Archbishop of Naples, Giampetro Carafa (Paul IV). The method of election was "adoration". He was crowned on May 26 on the steps of St. Peter's, and took possession of the Lateran Basilica on October 28, 1555.

Francesco Maria Sforza Cardinal Pallavicino, S.J. (1607-1667), Istoria del Concilio di Trento [1656; 1664] Tomo VII (Roma 1846), 131-150. For details of the conclaves of 1555, see Giuseppe de Novaes, Elementi della storia de' sommi pontefici da San Pietro sino al ... Pio Papa VII third edition, Volume 7 (Roma 1822) 94-96 and 105-106. L. Ranke, The Ecclesiastical and Political History of the Popes of Rome during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries Volume I (tr. S. Austin) (Philadelphia 1841); Alexis François Artaud de Montor, Histoire de pontifes IV (Paris 1851), pp. 163-164; 171-172. George Duruy, Le Cardinal Carlo Carafa (1519-1561): Étude sur le Pontificat de Paul IV (Paris 1882) 11-16. For the first conclave: G. Moroni, Dizionario di erudizione storico-ecclesiastica Vol. 42 (Venezia 1847) p. 243.