Clement XIV

Who he was

A country surgeon's son, he was taught by the Jesuits and the Piarists and joined the Franciscans at nineteen, taking the name Lorenzo. He became a leading figure in his order, a consultor of the Holy Office, and in 1759 a cardinal, the only friar in the Sacred College. He was elected after a long conclave pressed hard by the Catholic courts of France and Spain.

What he is remembered for

He is remembered above all for suppressing the Society of Jesus by the brief Dominus ac Redemptor, dated 21 July 1773, under heavy pressure from the Bourbon kings. He restored relations with Portugal, and Avignon and Benevento were handed back to the Holy See.

Sources

• Catholic Encyclopedia (1908): Pope Clement XIV
• Catholic-Hierarchy (David M. Cheney): Popes, with dates