25 March 2010

Lentorama 2010: Two Millennia of Pointy Hats

Day 33: Marcellus II (1555)

Marcellus was the last pope to use his birth name as his papal name; perhaps his 22 day reign is seen as a jinx on the practice. He was almost elected in the conclave of 1550, but after leaving the conclave due to illness and having the Germans opposed to him, he was passed over.

His election five years later during Lent resulted in a low-key investiture, though the stresses of the conclave and of the papal duties during Holy Week quickly took their toll on Marcellus. He tried to work through them, but was not able to overcome the initial rigors that came with being elected pope, cutting short what some felt would be a promising pontificate given Marcellus' reputation for integrity.

No comments:

 Book Log Extra: New York Times 100 Best Books of the 21st Century The New York Times  took a break from trying to get Joe Biden to drop out...