Pope Clement IX
Pope Clement IX reigned from 1667 to 1669 and negotiated a truce in the Jansenist quarrel that carried his name. Born Giulio Rospigliosi at Pistoia in 1600, he was educated by the Jesuits and at the Roman Seminary, taught philosophy at Pisa, and served as nuncio to Spain. He was a writer before he was a diplomat, and an unusual one for a future pope. He composed librettos for sacred operas performed at the Barberini theatre in Rome, including Sant'Alessio with music by Stefano Landi, and is credited with writing the first comic opera libretto, Chi soffre speri. His literary reputation was genuine. He was made a cardinal in 1657 and secretary of state under Alexander VII, and was elected in June 1667. His pontificate was dominated by two problems he could not control. The first was Crete, where Venice had been defending Candia against the Ottomans since 1648. He sent money and men and pressed the Catholic powers to help; France sent a contingent that withdrew, and the city fell in September 1669 after a siege of twenty-one years. He is said to have been broken by the news and died weeks later. The second was Jansenism. Four French bishops had refused to sign the formulary condemning propositions attributed to Jansen. Rather than press the confrontation, Clement accepted a formula of respectful silence, allowing them to submit without affirming that the propositions were in the text. The Peace of Clement IX held for about a decade. He was personally charitable, hearing confessions in St Peter's himself and dining with the poor. He died in December 1669.
- Lived: 1600 CE – 1669 CE
- Nationality: Italian
- Roles: pope, cleric
