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Pope Benedict XIV

 
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: Benedict XIV
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(born March 31, 1675, Bologna, Papal States — died May 3, 1758, Rome) Pope in 1740 – 58. Nobly born, he received a doctorate in theology and law. Typical of his pontificate were his promotion of scientific learning and his admonition to those drawing up the Index Librorum Prohibitorum (Index of Forbidden Books) to act with restraint. In the Papal States he reduced taxation, encouraged agriculture, and supported free trade. He maintained conciliatory relations with neighbouring kingdoms. A lifelong active scholar, he founded several learned societies and laid the groundwork for the present Vatican Museum. Bernard Garnier, a French cleric who was counter-antipope (1425 – 33) while Martin V was pope and Clement VIII was antipope, was also called Benedict XIV.

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Columbia Encyclopedia: Benedict XIV
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Benedict XIV, 1675-1758, pope (1740-58), an Italian (b. Bologna) named Prospero Lambertini; successor of Clement XII. Long before his pontificate he was renowned for his learning and wrote a classic treatise on the subject of canonization (1734-38). In 1728 he became a cardinal. He was much interested in the Eastern churches and began (with the bull Etsi pastoralis, 1742) the modern papal legislation that favors the Eastern rites and prohibits activity that is likely to Latinize them. He beautified Rome and restored monuments, and he was munificent to Bologna. He patronized learning and welcomed scholars and artists to his court. He denounced the cruelty to the Native Americans in the disbanding of the Paraguay reductions. He was succeeded by Clement XIII.
History 1450-1789: Benedict XIV
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Benedict XIV (POPE) (1675–1758; reigned 1740–1758), Italian pope. Born in Bologna as Prospero Lambertini into a patrician family of modest means on 31 March 1675, he earned a doctorate in theology and a double doctorate in canon and civil law in 1694. Lambertini then became a curial official, rising to important positions in the Congregation of the Council and Congregation of Rites. He was appointed archbishop of Ancona in 1727, made cardinal in 1728, and archbishop of Bologna in 1731. Lambertini was probably the most prolific papal scholar since the Middle Ages. His most enduring work was a four-volume study of the history of canonization (1734–1738), which proposed new procedures followed until the late twentieth century. He also wrote a history of episcopal synods, supporting their use (1748), and works in liturgy and canon law. The complete edition of his works appeared in twelve folio volumes between 1747 and 1751.

When Clement XII died on 6 February 1740, Lambertini was not considered a candidate for pope. But after six months of stalemate and negotiations, he was elected on the 255th ballot on 17 August 1740. Benedict XIV pursued policies of conciliation, moderation, and openness to contemporary intellectual trends. But he had to contend with war and Catholic monarchs determined to rule the church in their lands. Benedict XIV inherited state-church disputes with most of the Catholic monarchies of Europe; they demanded control over church appointments, that church properties be taxed, and that clergymen be subject to civil jurisdiction. Benedict concluded new concordats with Piedmont-Savoy (1741), the Kingdom of Naples (1741), Portugal (1745), Spain (1753), and Austria (1757). Because he was negotiating from weakness, he had to make substantial concessions. In the most extreme case, he gave the Spanish crown the right of appointment to twelve thousand church positions in Spain, leaving the papacy with the right to appoint only fifty-two minor offices. Benedict was forced to concede much in order to retain Spain's support at a time when Austrian armies were ravaging Italy and the papal state during the War of the Austrian Succession (1740–1748). While he conceded rights of patronage, he probably increased the moral authority of papacy and earned goodwill.

Benedict also had to deal with Frederick II, king of Prussia and a nominal Protestant. Frederick annexed Catholic Silesia in 1741 and began to impose civil legislation on Silesia's Catholics in marriage laws, benefices, and jurisdiction. After lengthy negotiations, the pope and Frederick reached an uneasy accommodation in 1748, even though Frederick did not completely keep his word. Still, European public opinion praised Benedict for his willingness to seek accommodation with a Protestant and absolutist ruler. In internal church matters and administration of the papal state, Benedict had greater success. He emphasized the formation of the clergy and the obligation of residence and of regular pastoral visits to his bishops. He prohibited religious excesses by banning trumpets in church services and eliminating public flagellations and some feast days on which work was suspended. In 1742 he resolved a bitter dispute concerning the extent to which missionaries might include other traditions in church rites. Benedict curbed the Jesuit use of Chinese rites but permitted some accommodation to Indian culture ("Malabar rites").

Benedict XIV was open and sympathetic to the activities of some of the leading scholars of the century and enjoyed their company. He supported Ludovico Muratori (1672–1750), Italy's leading historian, some of whose positions on church-state matters displeased the papacy. He added new professorships to the universities of Rome and Bologna, enlarged the Vatican Library collections, and restored some of the monuments of Rome. He provided the money for the completion of the Trevi Fountain in 1742.

In 1745 Voltaire (1694–1778) wrote to Benedict to ask if he would accept the dedication of his play, Mahomet. Benedict agreed, and sent Voltaire some gold medals in return, as was the custom. After Voltaire made the correspondence known, Benedict received criticism for his friendly relations with the notorious anticlerical. He responded that it was important to have some links with a person of such importance in the world of letters. The gesture earned praise from partisans of the Enlightenment across Europe, including Protestant England.

However, the differences between the papacy and the Enlightenment remained strong. Benedict placed Montesquieu's Esprit des lois (Spirit of the laws) on the Index of Prohibited Books in 1752, and he renewed the church's condemnation of Freemasonry in 1751. Benedict XIV died on 3 May 1758.

Benedict XIV displayed an openness to Enlightenment thinkers and willingness to embrace change. Perhaps his greatest success was communication with writers and scholars, especially Italians. He negotiated concordats with Catholic rulers but was unable to improve substantially the position of the church. Probably no papal action would have staved off the assaults that began in the 1760s with the suppression of the Jesuits and continued with the seizure of church properties and the suppression of Catholicism during the French Revolution. Benedict XIV stands as a pope who practiced openness and moderation in troubled times with mixed results.

Bibliography

Haynes, Renée. Philosopher King. The Humanist Pope Benedict XIV. London, 1970. Concentrates on his career before becoming pope and scholarship.

Pastor, Ludwig von. The History of the Popes from the Close of the Middle Ages. Vol. 25: Benedict XIV (1740–1758). Vol. 26: Benedict XIV (1740–1758). Clement XIII (1758–1769). Translated by E. F. Peeler. St. Louis, 1949 and 1950. Detailed account of his pontificate.

Rosa, Mario. "Benedetto XIV." Dizionario biografico degli italiani. Vol. 8, pp. 393–408. Rome, 1966. Excellent summary of his life with extensive bibliography.

——. Riformatori e ribelli nel '700 religioso italiano. Bari, 1969. Pp. 49–85, 264–265 deal with Benedict XIV.

—PAUL F. GRENDLER

Occultism & Parapsychology Encyclopedia: Pope Benedict XIV
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(1675-1758)

Pope Benedict XIV, born Prospero Lambertini of a noble Italian family, is credited with making the first modern objective "scientific" studies of the paranormal in Italy. Lambertini became one of the best educated people of his day, attaining doctorates in both law and theology. Ordained to the priesthood, he became bishop, cardinal (1728), then archbishop of Bologna (1731). From 1702 to 1722 he served as the "devil's advocate" in a series of cases of people proposed for canonization by the Roman Catholic Church. Among the issues the Church investigated in that process were alleged miraculous occurrences credited to the candidate proposed for sainthood.

Lambertini quickly gained a reputation as one who admitted the possibility of miracles but took a very skeptical view of reports of paranormal phenomena. He refused to regard as a "miracle" any event that could result from natural phenomena. He made independent studies of luminous phenomena, nonconventional healings, and extrasensory perception (ESP). He came to see ESP as a natural phenomenon neither spiritually nor diabolically based. He capped his career with the publication of a four-volume work, De Canonization Santorum (1734-38), which had a marked effect upon the thinking of the Church on miracles in a still very superstitious age.

Lambertini was elected to the papal chair in 1740. He gained a reputation as an educated and witty leader and earned the approbation of Voltaire, who dedicated one of his plays to him.

Sources:

Haynes, R. Philosopher King: The Humanist Pope Benedict XIV. London: Weidenfield & Nicolson, 1970.

Wikipedia: Pope Benedict XIV
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Benedict XIV[1]
Benoit XIV.jpg
Papacy began 17 August 1740
Papacy ended 3 May 1758
Predecessor Clement XII
Successor Clement XIII
Personal details
Birth name Prospero Lorenzo Lambertini
Born March 31, 1675(1675-03-31)
Bologna, Papal State
Died May 3, 1758 (aged 83)
Rome, Papal State
Other Popes named Benedict

Pope Benedict XIV (31 March 1675 – 3 May 1758), born Prospero Lorenzo Lambertini, was Pope from 17 August 1740 to 3 May 1758.

Contents

Biography

Papal styles of
Pope Benedict XIV

Emblem of the Papacy SE.svg
Reference style His Holiness
Spoken style Your Holiness
Religious style Holy Father
Posthumous style None

He was born into a noble family of Bologna, which was at that time the second largest city in the Papal States.He was created Cardinal-Priest of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme on 10 May 1728. He was elected Pope in 1740. The conclave which elected him had lasted six months; he is alleged to have said to the cardinals: "If you wish to elect a saint, choose Gotti; a statesman, Aldrovandi; a donkey, elect me" (in Italy the donkey symbolizes ignorance; it can also represent stubborn faithfulness). His Papacy began in a time of great difficulties, chiefly caused by the disputes between Catholic rulers and the Papacy about governmental demands to nominate bishops rather than leaving the appointment to the Church. He managed to overcome most of these problems — the Holy See's disputes with the Kingdom of Naples, Sardinia, Spain, Venice, and Austria were settled.

He had a very active papacy, reforming the education of priests, the calendar of feasts of the Church, and many papal institutions. Perhaps the most important act of Benedict XIV's pontificate was the promulgation of his famous laws about missions in the two bulls, Ex quo singulari and Omnium solicitudinum. In these bulls he ruled on the custom of accommodating Christian words and usages to express non-Christian ideas and practices of the native cultures, which had been extensively done by the Jesuits in their Indian and Chinese missions.

An example of this is the statues of ancestors - there had long been uncertainty whether honour paid to one's ancestors was unacceptable 'ancestor worship,' or if it was something more like the Catholic veneration of the saints. This question was especially pressing in the case of an ancestor known not to have been a Christian. The choice of a Chinese translation for the name of God had also been debated since the early 17th century. Benedict XIV denounced these practices in these two bulls. The consequence of this was that many of these converts left the Church.

Tomb of Benedict XIV, St. Peter's basilica.

On 22 December 1741, Benedict XIV promulgated the papal bull "Immensa Pastorum principis" against the enslavement of the indigenous peoples of the Americas and other countries.

Benedict XIV was also responsible, along with Cardinal Passionei, for beginning the catalogue of the Vatican Library.

Footnotes

  1. ^ Pope Benedict X is now considered an antipope. At the time, however, this status was not recognised and so the pontiff the Roman Catholic church officially considers the tenth true Pope Benedict took the official number XI, rather than X. This has advanced the numbering of all subsequent Popes Benedict by one. Popes Benedict XI-XVI are, from an official point of view, the tenth through fifteenth popes by that name.

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Preceded by
Jacopo Cardinal Boncompagni		 Archbishop of Bologna
1731–1740		 Succeeded by
Vincenzo Malvezzi
Preceded by
Clement XII		 Pope
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Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/.  Read more
History 1450-1789. Encyclopedia of the Early Modern World. Copyright © 2004 by The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Occultism & Parapsychology Encyclopedia. Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology. Copyright © 2001 by The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Pope Benedict XIV".  Read more