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Pope Clement VII

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Religious Figure

The Resume

    (May 26, 1478-September 25, 1534)
    Born in Florence, Italy
    Birth name was Giulio di Giuliano de’ Medici
    220th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church (November 19, 1523-September 25, 1534)

Why he might be annoying:

    His birth out of wedlock barred him from a high-ranking position in the Church – in theory.
    He was appointed Archbishop of Florence by his cousin, Pope Leo X (1513).
    He appointed many fellow Medici to Church offices.
    His attempts to play Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and King Francis I of France against each other failed, with Charles’ troops invading Italy and sacking Rome (May 6, 1527).
    His attempt to stall on King Henry VIII’s request for an annulment of his marriage to Charles’ aunt, Catherine of Aragon, led Henry to break away from the Catholic Church and establish an independent Church of England.
    A contemporary wrote that he ‘“endured a great labor to become, from a great and respected cardinal, a small and little-esteemed pope.’

Why he might not be annoying:

    He was an accomplished musician.
    He approved Copernicus’ theory that the Earth revolves around the Sun.
    He issued orders to protect Jews from the Inquisition.
    He commissioned Raphael’s ‘The Transfiguration’ and Michelangelo’s ‘The Last Judgment.’
    The Catholic Encyclopedia wrote ‘His private life was free from reproach.’

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 90 Votes: 48.89% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 6 Votes: 16.67% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 22 Votes: 45.45% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 12 Votes: 8.33% Annoying