You're seeing two popes because we want to make sure you get all the popes before New Year's. Don't worry, we'll only be doubling up a few more times in the coming weeks :-)
Pope from April 24, 1585 - August 27, 1590
Lived: December 13, 1521 - August 27, 1590
Birth name: Felice Peretti
Who was this guy before he was pope?
Felice Peretti lived a full and diverse existence in the 64 years before being elected pope. Part of a family who had fled Dalmatia to escape the Turks, Felice’s father was a gardener, and Felice himself had cared for swine in his youth. He entered the Franciscans at 12 and was ordained a priest at 26, and became renowned for his preaching, a skill which introduced him to a pair of future popes, Paul IV and St. Pius V, while preaching in Rome in 1552.
Felice was well acquainted with St. Ignatius and St. Philip Neri, as well. In 1566, Pope St. Pius V made Felice his personal confessor. No big D. The one bummer of Felice’s pre-pope life was a stormy relationship with Pope Gregory XIII, borne out of their opposing views on Spanish politics.
Okay, give me the scoop on Sixtus V.
Recognizing that Sixtus V was born to lead, it took the cardinals just four days to elect a new pontiff. Sixtus’ five years in office were full of his characteristic vigor and energy for the continued reform of the Church. He avoided nepotism at all costs, sealed the number of cardinals at 70 – a shout-out to the Old Testament that continued until the 1960s – and further cemented Rome as the center of Church affairs. Though he tended to be stubborn and severe in his demeanor, his papacy was of great benefit to the Church at large.
Sixtus V, who took his name after fellow Franciscan Sixtus IV, died on August 27, 1590.
What was he known for?
Pope Sixtus V is best known for bringing law, order, and new restoration to Rome at a time when chaos ran particularly rampant. Bands of men terrorizing Rome and the surrounding countryside apparently numbered in the thousands, but Sixtus was having none of it. After putting down this lawlessness, Sixtus set to work rebuilding the Lateran Palace and constructing the Vatican Library, the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica, an aqueduct, and the papal apartments (among lots of others).
Fun Fact...
The tradition of ad limina visits, in which a bishop from somewhere in the world visits Rome every five years (or so) to give an account of the state of his diocese, was begun by Pope Sixtus V and continues to this day.
What else was going on in the world at the time?
In 1587, the despotic Queen Elizabeth I of England had her cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots, beheaded in Fotheringhay Castle for supposedly plotting to kill Elizabeth. Ironic.
Pope from September 15, 1590 - September 27, 1590
Lived: August 4, 1521 - September 27, 1590
Birth name: Giovanni Battista Castagna
Who was this guy before he was pope?
Giovanni Battista Castagna was born in Rome in 1521 and was the son of a noble family. He studied canon and civil law all over Italy, eventually receiving a doctorate from the University of Bologna. He was made Archbishop of Rossano by Pope Julius III in 1553 and was a vital player at the Council of Trent a decade later. The year 1565 saw Giovanni accompanying the future Pope Gregory XIII to Spain, where the former would stay seven years as papal legate. Gregory later made Giovanni a cardinal, and he continued to serve in high office under Pope Sixtus V.
Okay, give me the scoop on Urban VII.
It took three weeks for the College of Cardinals to tap Pope Urban VII as the next successor of St. Peter. Chosen on September 15, 1590, Urban immediately had a list made of all Rome’s poor, in order to serve them as much as possible. Among his other initiatives, Urban asked bakers to make their loaves of bread larger but sell them for less, and he would cover the losses from his own pocket.
Just a few days following his election, Urban contracted malaria. He died barely a week later, on September 27, and was interred at the Church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva in Rome.
What was he known for?
Pope Urban VII currently holds the gold medal for the shortest papacy of all time, at just 13 calendar days.
Coming tomorrow....Pope Gregory XIV & Innocent IX