Lentorama 2025: Perfunctory Popes

Day 29: Gregory XIV

Niccolo Sfondrato became familiar with the workings of the church at an early age. Born into a noble Milanese family, his mother died shortly after Niccolo was born, and his father opted to join the church soon after. He was made a cardinal-priest a few years later, but died in 1550 not long after being named the bishop of Cremona.

Growing up with an ecclesiastical dad instilled strong senses of modesty and piety in Niccolo, and he entered the church not long after graduating from Padua with degrees in civil and church law. He took up various posts until being made bishop of Cremona in 1560. He participated in the Council of Trent, and implemented its reforms in his diocese. He would later become a cardinal-priest and cultivated friendships with future saints Charles Borromeo and Philip Neri.

In 1590, Urban VII died before his coronation, prompting an unexpected conclave. Philip II of Spain took the opportunity to try to get a favorable candidate elected, with his ambassador presenting lists of favorable and unfavorable candidates to the College of Cardinals. This did not sit well with other factions in the college, and voting ping-ponged between the Spanish faction rejecting candidates not on Philip's list, and the other factions rejecting various Spanish nominees. 

A couple of months passed, and the groups opposing the Spanish concluded that they were not going to be able to elect a pope without Spanish support. The opposition settled on Niccolo as an acceptable candidate from Philip's list, and he was elected. 

Philip hoped that a pope from his list would support him in claiming the crown of France, which is exactly what Gregory did. He intervened for the Catholic side in the French Wars of Religion, excommunicating the French king Henry IV and raising an army to invade the country. He may have less endeared himself to the Spanish by ordering Catholics in the Philippines to pay reparations to natives that had been enslaved, and threatened excommunication for anyone who did not free their slaves.

It was during the invasion of France that Gregory died, apparently due to a large gallstone. He served just 10 months.