Pius IV

Pius IV (Latin: Pius PP. IV), secular name Giovanni Angelo Medici (Milan, March 31, 1499-Rome, December 9, 1565) was the 224th pope of the Catholic Church from 1559 to 1565.

Biography

Belonging to a secondary branch of the Florentine Medici, known for this reason as the Medichino, he was the son of Bernardino dei Medici di Nosiggia and Cecilia Serbelloni. After acceding to the papal dignity, after being elected in the longest conclave of the XVI century, he strove from the beginning to alleviate the disastrous effects of the confrontational strategy of his predecessor Paulo IV. He strengthened ties of good harmony with the French regent Catherine de Médicis (Médicis, in short, like him) and, above all, he abjured the ill will of his predecessor towards Felipe II, with whom he maintained a cordial relationship from then on.

Pontificate

His first official act was to grant an amnesty to those who had outraged the memory of his predecessor, Paul IV. Cardinal Morone and other dignitaries, whom Paulo had imprisoned on suspicion of heresy, were released.

He carried out a process against the relatives of Paul IV; as a result of which, Cardinal Carlo Caraffa and his sister to whom Paulo had given the dukedom of Paliano, were convicted and executed. The sentence was later declared unjust by Pius V and the memory of the victims was vindicated and their properties restored.

Foreign Relations

In any case, the international climate was currently more conducive to the consummation of the inconclusive Council of Trent. Despite everything, there continued to be a certain defiant mood among those who were responsible for its prosecution and auction: Felipe II, widower of Queen Mary Tudor of England, did not reject certain aspirations to maintain the status of king consort by now joining in marriage the Protestant Elizabeth I; Fernando I of Austria, as it happened before to Carlos V, was more convenient than a council condemning the Lutheran doctrines followed by a large number of his subjects, some colloquial assemblies of understanding and consensual agreement; Something similar was claimed by Catalina, in whose kingdom the Protestant movement was gaining momentum.

In France any compromise ceased to be possible when, following the promulgation in January 1562 of an edict against the Huguenots, the manu militari intervention of Francisco de Guise in Vassy trying to enforce its compliance It ended in a massacre that led to the outbreak of the civil war. For his part, the failure of Philip II's initial marriage proposal led him to take Elizabeth of Valois, daughter of Henry II and Catherine de Médicis, as his wife in 1559, with which he approached France and distanced himself from any temptation to moderate tolerance of Anglicanism.

During his pontificate, Scotland broke with the Catholic Church in 1560 led by John Knox in the so-called Scottish Reformation.

The Council of Trent and the Catholic Reformation

The situation was therefore worth taking advantage of. Pius IV summoned Christianity to come to Trent for the resumption of the council. In January 1562 the synod entered its last phase that would last until December 3, 1563. Finally there was an agreement on important dogmatic aspects and the Protestant heresy was declared anathematized.

The Index librorum prohibitorum was promulgated at the request of the Council of Trent by Pope Pius IV on March 24, 1564.

The few years that remained to him after the conclusion of the council were devoted to the many needs of improvements in Rome and in the papal states. Among all the improvements to which his name is associated, one of the most useful was the founding of the pontifical printing workshop for the publication of books in all languages. He provided the necessary professionals and placed the institution under the able supervision of Paulo Manucio.

Pius IV, complying with the canons of the Council of Trent, commissioned the writing of a catechism elaborated to expose the doctrine and improve the theological understanding of the parish priests.

Beautification of Rome

Pius IV incurred for the fortification and beautification of Rome: he finished the construction of the Villa Pia begun by his predecessor Paul IV, he built the Porta Pia and the Basilica of Santa Maria de los Angeles and the Martyrs.

Death

Pius IV died on December 9, 1565. He was buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria de los Ángeles y los Mártires

The prophecies of St. Malachy refer to this pope as Aesculapii farmacum (The Pharmaceutical of Piarist), a quote that refers to his family, the Medicis, to whom He was a doctor since the Roman god of medicine was Piarist.