What if Cardinal Pole had become Pope in 1550?

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ltwin said:
do you think a Pope like Reginald Pole might have been able to heal the breach between Protestants and Catholics?
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Looking from another angle, the inquisition in Ibera had started and any compromise on doctrine or dogma would be unthinkable.

I don’t know English history enough but in 1550 the new world had been discovered and maritime trade with Asia was in full swing. So, realistically, the context of religious division was secondary to the economic state of affairs. With the Mediterranean countries certainly in a better position than the rest of Europe during the 15th century. I don’t think there was any will (economically) to reach any agreement from the English/protestant countries. And the same goes with the southern part of Europe. The spheres of influence were set and religion was secondary to power politics.

The entire English separation from Rome was more political than religious, with theological differences serving only as pretext.
ltwin said:
(he fell short by one vote in the conclave).
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What do historians think of the composition of that particular conclave?
 
My GUESS…

It would have had little to no affect on the continent, but MIGHT have had an impact in England.

But that’s a total guess.

God Bless
 
adgloriam said:
What do historians think of the composition of that particular conclave?
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I know very little about it, except that Pole might have been damaged by Gian Pietro Carafa (future Pope Paul IV) waving around papers which he claimed proved Pole was a heretic. Though, Pope Julius III, the guy who actually won, must not have been concerned about Pole’s views since he made him papal legate to England when Mary became queen, so maybe someone else knows more.

I do know that he presided over the Council of Trent for a time, but left before the decision on justification was made. He claimed he was ill, but historians suspect he just disagreed with the teaching on justification or that the stress of trying to hold his views and be loyal to the church caused him to have a nervous breakdown.
 
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ltwin said:
I know very little about it
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Tell you the truth, I never researched 15th century Rome although I’ve read extensively on the discoveries during that period. It’s a fascinating age of history. Wikipedia has a good article on the election of Julius III and apparently there’s a paper on the election of Paul IV just 5 years afterwards with the additional election of pope Marcellus short before.

Apparently there were around 60 voters, and it seems pretty clear the election was more about emperors, wars, and carving up Europe between them than it was about religious matters. (It also seems the top Portuguese Cardinal of the time wouldn’t attend on matter of principle, being one of only 3 voters absent…) And Gian Pietro Carafa was half Portuguese which does make me wonder why nothing is said of his early life.



 
ltwin said:
waving around papers which he claimed proved Pole was a heretic.
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Pole and his proponents were physically there to verbally defend themselves. 50% of the conclave was made up of Italians so most knew each other. With most of European countries at war there’s little doubt much was at stake -Rome held arbitration power over kings- and the election being decided by a single vote shows as much.

Frequently the cardinals of the time are portrayed as fools, but I don’t believe that…Most of them had extensive experience within their own families of what exercise of real power and politics was.

I have to admit, I haven’t read any first hand writings or accounts of any of those Cardinals. To get a feel for the kind of man they were.
 
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adgloriam said:
Tell you the truth, I never researched 15th century Rome although I’ve read extensively on the discoveries during that period. It’s a fascinating age of history.
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It certainly is, especially when you combine the high drama surrounding religion, diplomacy, schemes and conspiracies (and with certain people scandal). It’s also important to remember that before the Protestant Reformation the Catholic Church was the closest thing we had to a medieval European Union. It was the one body that included all of Western Europe within its scope.
 
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