Who he was
The eldest son of the ducal Orsini family, he gave up his inheritance at sixteen to join the Dominicans, taking the name Vincenzo Maria, and never laid aside the habit even as a cardinal. He chose the poor see of Manfredonia, then served Cesena and for thirty-eight years Benevento, where his care after two earthquakes earned him the name 'second founder' of the city. Elected against his will, he accepted only when ordered by the head of his order.
What he is remembered for
As pope he kept the simple life of a friar, enforced Church discipline, heard confessions himself during the Jubilee of 1725, and founded the San Gallicano hospital in Trastevere; the Spanish Steps were finished in his reign. His trust in Cardinal Coscia, who abused it, clouded his reign. Pius XI declared him a Servant of God in 1931, and the diocesan stage of his cause closed in Rome in 2017.
He is honoured by the Church as Servant of God. Read his page in the dictionary of saints.
Sources
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