Pope Clement Vii
Pope Clement VII is one of the legendary Renaissance Popes, coming from the House of Medici and the pope under whom Henry VIII established the English Church. Clement was the son of Giuliano de Medici, who was brother to Lorenzo the Magnificence. When his cousin was made Pope Leo X, young Giulio was made cardinal of Florence.
Pope Clement VII was famous for:
- Denying Henry VIII a divorce
- Commissioning the Last Judgment to be painted on the Sistine Chapel
- From the House of Medici
Pope Clement VII Imprisoned
Cardinal Giulio de Medici was a powerful figure during the pontificate of Leo X, as cardinal protector of England among other titles. He was well regarded as a Church diplomat. Elected pope in 1523, he was soon confronted by the realities of the Protestant Reformation, which he largely ignored. Also during his pontificate, the Italian states were embroiled in wars with Francis I of France. Clement VII aligned the Papal States with Francis against the Holy Roman Empire, a plan that backfired with Francis' defeat. When Francis was released, Clement again switched sides against Emperor Charles V. German forces eventually sacked Rome, taking Clement VII prisoner for several months.
Pope Clement VII and The Sistine Chapel
With the Pope wholly dependent on the power of the Emperor, Clement refused to grant a divorce to one of the most well known Tudor Kings, Henry VIII of England, sparking that monarch's entry into the Protestant Reformation and establishment of the separate Church of England. Culturally, Clement VII is best remembered as the Pope who commissioned Michelangelo to paint the Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel.
Related Research Paper Topic Suggestions
Cardinal Newman - Cardinal Newman was an essential figure for Catholicism in the Oxford Movement and the battle against Martin Luther.
John Paul Ii - Pope John Paul II research papers discuss the life of the leader of the Catholic Church until his death in 2005.
Pierre Teilhard De Chardin - Pierre Teilhard De Chardin began to teach his own ideas on the original sin and evolution to his Catholic Institute classes after the Roman Catholic Church refused to publish his scientific and theological work.
Pius Xii - Pius XII research papers research the Catholic Church's position on the Holocaust and Nazi Germany. Pius XII was often known as
Pope Pius Ix - Pope Pius IX research papers discuss the important world changes during his reign in the Catholic Church.
The Pope and Condoms - The Catholic Church has always maintained a strict position against the use of condoms and contraception until the pope recognized their use for special cases.
Vatican Ii - Vatican II research papers illustrate the Catholic Church went through in the 1960's. Example term papers are custom written by Paper Masters.