SEDE VACANTE
(April 27, 1605—May 16, 1605)
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AG •ROMA• |
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Born in Rome in 1571, PIETRO CARD. ALDOBRANDINI, the son of Pietro Aldobrandini and of Flaminia Ferracci, was nephew of Pope Clement VIII (1592-1605). He obtained a doctorate in Civil and Canon Law, and was named Protonotary Apostolic. He was created a cardinal deacon in 1593, and along with his cousin Cardinal Cincio took over the affairs of the papal government. On December 20, 1599 he was appointed Cardinal Chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church for life. He acted as Legate for the Pope to Henri IV of France, first to regularize his situation with the Church, and then to finalize the marriage of the king with Catherine de' Medici (1600-1601). He became Archbishop of Ravenna in 1604, and in 1620 was promoted Bishop of the Suburbicarian See of Sabina. He died on the day after the conclusion of the Conclave of 1621.
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Death of Pope Leo XI
Pope Leo XI (de' Medici) ruled for only twenty-seven days, April 1 to April 27, 1605. He had caught a chill while taking possession of his cathedral, the Lateran Basilica, on April 17, and died ten days later.
Factions
The conclave began on May 8. The cardinals were those of the March conclave, with the exception of Cardinal Agucci (who died on April 27, since Leo XI had created no new cardinals. Of the sixty-seven cardinals, sixty-two participated in the final election. There were two principal parties, headed by Cardinal Pietro Aldobrandini (nephew of Clement VIII) and Cardinal Andrea Peretti Montalto. At the beginning of the conclave, a number of electors were leaning towards Cardinal Domenico Toschi, the Bishop of Tivoli, an experienced soldier, lawyer and administrator, who had been governor of Rome from 1595 to 1699. He was, however, spoken against, more for his manners and his style of speaking than his competence (It may have been simple class prejudice), Cardinal Baronius remarked that this did not suit a Vicar of Christ, and most of Toschi's supporters transferred their votes to (of all people) Baronius himself (to a total of 32).
Cardinal Montalto had been showing a preference for Cardinal Camillo Borghese. The French cardinals had not yet chosen their own candidate, but, putting their trust in Montalto's judgment, turned their support to Borghese as well.
Election
On the evening of May 16, Cardinal Camillo Borghese, Vicar General of Rome and head of the Holy Inquisition, was elected pope by acclamation. He was 53 years of age.
Paul V was crowned in the Vatican Basilica on May 29. He took possession of the Lateran Basilica on November 6.
Bibliography
Giuseppe Novaes Elementi della storie de Sommi Pontefice Volume IX terza edizione (Roma 1822) 77-81; 86-89. G. Moroni, Dizionario di erudizione storico-ecclesiastica Volume 38 (Venezia 1846) 49-50. Alexis Francois Artaud de Montor, Histoire des souverains pontifes romains Tome V (Paris 1851), 172-174 (substantially copying Novaes). T.A. Trollope The Papal Conclaves (London 1876) 262-292.
© 06/15/2008
