Pope Leo X

Pope Leo X was the leader of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1513 until he passed away in 1521. He was born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici into the powerful Medici family of Florence. His father was Lorenzo de' Medici, an important leader in the Florentine Republic. Giovanni became a cardinal in 1489 and was elected pope in 1513 after the death of Pope Julius II.

During his time as pope, Leo X supported the arts and helped shape the Renaissance period. Artists like Raphael worked on decorations in the Vatican rooms, and progress was made on rebuilding St. Peter's Basilica. He also encouraged the study of literature, poetry, and the Classics at the Roman University. His spending habits caused some money problems.

Leo X is also remembered for his role in events that led to the Protestant Reformation. His decision to offer special pardons for donations toward St. Peter's Basilica was challenged by Martin Luther in his famous 95 Theses. In response, Leo X issued a Papal bull in 1520 called Exsurge Domine, condemning Luther's views. This made it hard to continue friendly discussions between the two sides.

Early life

Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici was born on 11 December 1475 in Florence. He was the second son of Lorenzo the Magnificent, the leader of the Florentine Republic, and Clarice Orsini. From a young age, Giovanni was prepared for a life in the church. At just seven years old, he received a special ceremony called the tonsure. By the time he was ten, he had already been given many church positions that provided income.

His father, Lorenzo de' Medici, cared deeply about Giovanni's character. He wrote a letter to him, giving advice for his future. One important piece of advice was to rise early each morning, which would help with health and managing daily tasks.

Cardinal

Giovanni's father asked Pope Innocent VIII to name him cardinal of Santa Maria in Domnica when he was 13 on 9 March 1489. He couldn't wear special clothes or join important meetings yet. During this time, he studied at his father's humanistic court with teachers like Angelo Poliziano, Pico della Mirandola, Marsilio Ficino, and Bernardo Dovizio Bibbiena. From 1489 to 1491, he learned about religion and church laws at Pisa.

On 23 March 1492, Giovanni officially became part of the Sacred College of Cardinals and moved to Rome. After his father passed away, he returned to Florence but soon came back to Rome. He took part in choosing the next pope in 1492 but did not support the person who became Pope Alexander VI. Later, he lived with his brother Piero in Florence during some difficult times. When the Medici family had to leave Florence in 1494, Piero went to Venice and Urbino, while Giovanni traveled through Germany, the Netherlands, and France.

Giovanni returned to Rome in May 1500 and was welcomed by Pope Alexander VI. He spent several years enjoying art and books there. In 1503, he supported Pope Julius II becoming pope, and after his brother Piero passed away, Giovanni became the leader of their family. In 1511, he was sent by Pope Julius II to represent the church in Bologna and the Romagna areas. Eventually, the Medici family returned to power, and Giovanni’s younger brother Giuliano became the leader of Florence, with Giovanni managing the government.

Pope

Papal election

Main article: 1513 papal conclave

Giovanni was elected pope on 9 March 1513. The French cardinals were not there, so the choice was between Giovanni and Raffaele Riario. On 15 March 1513, he became a priest, and then a bishop on 17 March. He was crowned pope on 19 March at age 37. He was the last person to become pope without first being a priest.

War of Urbino

Main article: War of Urbino

Leo wanted his brother Giuliano and his nephew Lorenzo to have important jobs. Lorenzo was put in charge of Florence, and Leo brought Giuliano to Rome. Leo planned to make a kingdom for Giuliano.

When Giuliano died in 1516, Leo focused on Lorenzo. In 1516, Leo took the title of Duke of Urbino from Francesco Maria della Rovere, giving it to Lorenzo. Francesco Maria fled to Mantua. In early 1517, Francesco Maria tried to take Urbino back, starting a war that lasted eight months.

The war ended in September 1517 with Lorenzo winning. But the war caused problems for the Papal States and cost a lot of money. Lorenzo then became the new duke of Urbino.

Plans for a crusade

Leo wanted to stop the Ottoman sultan, Selim I, who was threatening eastern Europe. He made plans for Christian countries to work together in a crusade. The pope would settle disputes, the emperor and the king of France would lead the army, and England, Spain, and Portugal would provide ships.

But things did not go as planned. The English king made his own choices, and much of the money for the crusade was used for other things.

In 1519 Hungary made peace with Selim I, but the next sultan, Suleiman the Magnificent, began fighting again in 1521. He captured Belgrade. Leo sent money to help the Hungarians and worked to keep peace between Christian groups.

Protestant Reformation

Main article: History of Lutheranism § The start of the Reformation

In 1517, Martin Luther wrote his Ninety-five Theses with some concerns. His ideas spread quickly. Leo did not understand how important this movement would become.

Luther sent his ideas to the pope in May 1518. In August, he was asked to come to Rome but went to Augsburg instead. Talks continued, but Luther did not change his mind.

In June 1520, Leo issued a document against some of Luther’s teachings. In January 1521, Leo officially declared Luther no longer a member of the Catholic Church. The pope also asked the Holy Roman Emperor to act against those who supported Luther’s ideas.

Leo was also pope when Lutheran ideas spread to Scandinavia. He sent a representative to Denmark, but the king did not change the church there.

Other activities

Consistories

Main article: Cardinals created by Leo X

Leo created 42 new cardinals. This included two cousins and a nephew. One of these cardinals later became Pope Clement VII. In July 1517, Leo created 31 cardinals in one group — the most until modern times.

Canonizations

Pope Leo X officially recognized eleven people as saints. The most well-known was Francis of Paola, recognized in 1519.

Final years

Leo was busy with politics in Italy and Europe. The death of Emperor Maximilian in 1519 made things harder. Leo supported Charles of Spain to become the next emperor.

Leo wanted to add Ferrara, Parma, and Piacenza to the Papal States. In May 1521, he made an agreement with the emperor to work together against France. Leo heard that papal troops had taken some areas he wanted.

Leo fell ill and died on 1 December 1521. He was buried in Santa Maria sopra Minerva.

Character, interests and talents

Pope Leo X was known for his pleasant voice and cheerful nature. He was good at speaking and writing in an elegant way. He loved music, theater, art, and poetry, and enjoyed both old masterpieces and new creative works. He was especially fond of making poems in Latin on the spot and liked to support talented writers.

Though he was busy as a leader, Leo still took part in religious services and prayers. He was generous and kind, often giving money to help those in need.

Leo grew up in Florence and studied in Pisa, which helped him develop a love for art and learning. He enjoyed reading Latin poems, Greek tragedies, and comedies. As pope, he brought in talented musicians from many places and cared greatly about the quality of church music.

Death

Pope Leo X became very ill and passed away from pneumonia at the age of 45 on 1 December 1521. He was buried in a church called Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome. This happened ten months after he had forbidden Martin Luther from being part of the Catholic Church.

Legacy

Pope Leo X is remembered for his time as leader of the Catholic Church and how it changed Europe. Many think he did not stop big changes in the Church, and may have helped them happen. He spent a lot of money on art and building projects. Because of this, the Church had money troubles. He tried to get more money by selling special pieces of paper called indulgences. This upset many people, including a man named Martin Luther, who spoke out against the Church. These events helped lead to a big split in the Church known as the Protestant Reformation.

Even with these problems, Pope Leo X did many good things. He loved learning and helped make Rome a place where artists and thinkers could grow. He helped build important buildings and brought teachers from far away to share their knowledge. He also showed kindness to different groups of people, including Jewish communities, allowing them to print important religious books.