Pope Julius II

A Pope of Unforeseen Consequences

As the Conclave begins today and we wait for the selection of a new Pope, I thought it a good time to take a quick look at a past Pope — and the unforeseen consequences of his pontificate.

Julius II was elected pope November 1st, 1503 with the help of not a little bribery by various parties. But before you judge him, be aware that was normal, if canonically forbidden, procedure for conclaves in that day. It was difficult at best to be elected without secret simony in generous amounts. And although hardly a saint, he was almost saintly in contrast to the Pope before him, Alexander VI. (Actually the Pope immediately before Julius was Pius III, who was a compromise between the Borgia (Alexander) and della Rovere (Julius) factions. But he died after only 26 days.)

Alexander VI and family (Yes, he had offspring all over the place who followed in his amoral footsteps.) was so debauched they inspired a 2011 miniseries, The Borgias. They were practically made for television. Della Rovere was a dogged and indignant adversary of Alexander in that series and in real life, and that may be what he who became Julius II is most known for today.

And there is no question he hated Alexander and the rest of the Borgias. Almost as soon as he was elected, Julius is said to have issued the following damnatio memoriae:

I will not live in the same rooms as the Borgias lived. He [Alexander VI] desecrated the Holy Church as none before. He usurped the papal power by the devil's aid, and I forbid under the pain of excommunication anyone to speak or think of Borgia again. His name and memory must be forgotten. It must be crossed out of every document and memorial. His reign must be obliterated. All paintings made of the Borgias or for them must be covered over with black crepe. All the tombs of the Borgias must be opened and their bodies sent back to where they belong – to Spain.

I don’t think he liked them. However I am not 100% certain about the quote, and Julius did not declare Alexander’s acts to be null and void as has happened with other Popes. He probably thought that either too disruptive or not politically doable.

But before the Borgias and adversaries became TV stars, Julius II was most known as the last warrior Pope. He led his papal armies in battle to reclaim papal territories. Yes, that is bad ass and why he is a favorite of mine.

But he was active in more ways than war and vindictiveness — too many for this post to do justice to him. He instituted the Swiss Guard. He facilitated Spanish and Portuguese exploration and missionary efforts. A patron of the arts, he commissioned several of Michelangelo’s works, including the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. He also began the building of the new St. Peter’s Basilica.

And that is where we get into some unforeseen consequences. To assist in financing the ambitious rebuilding, Julius authorized indulgences for those who donated and met other conditions. Most of you know the rest of the story. Under his successor, Leo X, the new indulgences became quite a promotional campaign led by one Johann Tetzel. Tetzel indulgence sale tours took liberties and scandalized many, including an Augustinian monk teaching at the University of Wittenberg, Martin Luther.

Like I said, you know the rest of the story.

Julius did something else that probably did not seem all that significant at the time. The eldest son of King Henry VII of England, Arthur, died. His brother Prince Henry asked Julius for a dispensation to marry Arthur’s widow, Catherine of Aragon. Julius granted it.

About 20 years later, Henry, now King Henry VIII, wrestled with why God had not granted he and Catherine a living son to be heir to the throne. After Henry read (and perhaps misinterpreted) Leviticus 20:21, he decided the problem was he should not have married his brother’s widow and Julius should not have granted a dispensation. Largely on that basis he asked Pope Clement VII for an annulment. But Clement was in no position to offend Catherine’s uncle, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. So Clement stalled and delayed but never granted it. And . . . well, you know the rest of this story also.

Both decisions by Julius seemed reasonable at the time. For one thing, Catherine testified that her marriage to Arthur had not been consummated. And it surely seemed good and gracious politics to grant Prince Henry the dispensation. As for the indulgence, indulgences had been granted for pious deeds for centuries. What is more pious than assisting in the rebuilding of St. Peter’s Basilica?

Yet those reasonable decisions by Julius eventually led to England and much of Europe leaving the Roman Catholic Church.

Who knows what unforeseen consequences could come of the election of the next Pope and his decisions? Another schism in the Roman Catholic may have been unthinkable 15 years ago, but it is not today, thanks to Francis, his horrible appointments, his enabling of apostates, and his trampling of traditionalists. And who knew the day before Benedict XVI resigned what was to come?

That papal decisions, even reasonable decisions, can lead to calamity, as was the case with Julius II, makes it that much more important that we all pray for Christ’s Holy Church and its bishops. Yes, even Protestants and us Anglicans should pray for the next Bishop of Rome and his selection at Conclave.

For God foresees what we cannot foresee. And God knows the Church needs his help and soon!

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lead image from Raphael’s portrait of Julius II. Julius was a patron of Raphael also.