Comments on: Greedy Pope

By: curios?george

curios?george — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 14:34:32 +0000

This pope should be ashamed of himself. To do this is an act against god

By: withheld

withheld — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 04:27:17 +0000

Pope Sixtus IV
Born near Abisola, 21 July, 1414; died 12 Aug., 1484. His parents were poor, and while still a child he was destined for the Franciscan order. Later he studied philosophy and theology with great success at the University of Pavia, and lectured at Padua, Bologna, Pavia, Siena, and Florence, having amongst other eminent disciples the famous Cardinal Bessarion. After filling the post of procurator of his order in Rome and Provincial of Liguria, he was in 1467 created Cardinal of S. Pietro in Vincoli by Paul II. Whatever leisure he now had was devoted to theology, and in 1470 he published a treatise on the Precious blood and a work on the Immaculate Conception, in which latter he endeavoured to prove that Aquinas and Scotus, though differing in words, were really of one mind upon the question. The conclave which assembled on the death of Paul II elected him {ln:Pope} , and he ascended the chair of St. Peter as Sixtus IV.
His first thought was the prosecution of the war against the Turks, and legates were appointed for France, Spain, Germany, Hungary, and Poland, with the hope of enkindling enthusiasm in these countries. The crusade, however, achieved little beyond the bringing back to Rome of twenty-five Turkish prisoners, who were paraded in triumph through the streets of the city. Sixtus continued the policy of his predecessor Paul II with regard to France, and denounced Louis XI for insisting on the royal consent being given before papal decrees could be published in his kingdom. He also made an effort like his predecessor for the reunion of the Russian Church with Rome, but his negotiations were without result. He now turned his attention almost exclusively to Italian politics, and fell more and more under his dominating passion of nepotism, heaping riches and favours on his unworthy relations. In 1478 took place the famous conspiracy of the Pazzi, planned by the {ln:Pope} 's nephew ? Cardinal Rafael Riario ? to overthrow the Medici and bring Florence under the Riarii. The {ln:Pope} was cognizant of the plot, though probably not of the intention to assassinate, and even had Florence under interdict because it rose in fury against the conspirators and brutal murderers of Giuliano de' Medici. He now entered upon a two years' war with Florence, and encouraged the Venetians to attack Ferrara, which he wished to obtain for his nephew Girolamo Riario. Ercole d'Este, attacked by Venice, found allies in almost every Italian state, and Ludovico Sforza, upon whom the {ln:Pope} relied for support, did nothing to help him. The allied princes forced Sixtus to make peace, and the chagrin which this caused him is said to have hastened his death.

Henceforth, until the Reformation, the secular interests of the papacy were of paramount importance. The attitude of Sixtus towards the conspiracy of the Pazzi, his wars and treachery, his promotion to the highest offices in the Church of such men as Pietro and Girolamo are blots upon his career. Nevertheless, there is a praiseworthy side to his pontificate. He took measures to suppress abuses in the Inquisition, vigorously opposed the Waldenses, and annulled the decrees of the Council of Constance. He was a patron of arts and letters, building the famous Sistine Chapel, the Sistine Bridge across the Tiber, and becoming the second founder of the Vatican Library. Under him Rome once more became habitable, and he did much to improve the sanitary conditions of the city. He brought down water from the Quirinal to the Fountain of Trevi, and began a transformation of the city which death alone hindered him from completing. In his private life Sixtus IV was blameless. The gross accusations brought against him by his enemy Infessura have no foundation; his worst vice was nepotism, and his greatest misfortune was that he was destined to be placed at the head of the States of the Church at a time when Italy was emerging from the era of the republics, and territorial princes like the {ln:Pope} were forced to do battle with the great despots.

By: Deep Blue

Deep Blue — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 18:37:53 +0000

Interesting article kabayan.

By: Moron Savant

Moron Savant — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 00:41:15 +0000

…and the Church is a human institution, too.

By: teachersmith

teachersmith — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 18:37:15 +0000

What has it benefitted you to point out the failings of a previous Pope? Just to add some balance here is an extract from NewAdvent on this particular Pope:

He took measures to suppress abuses in the Inquisition, vigorously opposed the Waldenses, and annulled the decrees of the Council of Constance. He was a patron of arts and letters, building the famous Sistine Chapel, the Sistine Bridge across the Tiber, and becoming the second founder of the Vatican Library. Under him Rome once more became habitable, and he did much to improve the sanitary conditions of the city. He brought down water from the Quirinal to the Fountain of Trevi, and began a transformation of the city which death alone hindered him from completing. In his private life Sixtus IV was blameless. The gross accusations brought against him by his enemy Infessura have no foundation; his worst vice was nepotism, and his greatest misfortune was that he was destined to be placed at the head of the States of the Church at a time when Italy was emerging from the era of the republics, and territorial princes like the pope were forced to do battle with the great despots.

Even Popes are human you know...

By: CutestPrincess

CutestPrincess — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 16:52:06 +0000

as a Filipina, im so sad that Imelda Marcos belongs to these greedy people but that's true, she's a first lady of our country way back 1965 to 1986, the former First Lady chafed at the label that she and her husband, accused of numerous plunder cases and allegedly hiding their family's ill-gotten wealth in various foreign bank accounts, were thieves.

The Marcos couple was deposed after the country staged a People Power revolt in 1986, prompting the military and the United States to withdraw support from Ferdinand Marcos. This effectively ended years of martial law in the country, which was underscored by corruption, countless political killings, and the restriction of civil liberties.

The former first lady was listed by the magazine to be among the 11 greediest individuals worldwide.

The wit and wisdom of imelda:
"My economic theory is that money was made round to go round. Money was made to encircle man so that he would blossom with many flowers. The whole trouble is, the center is money. All the heads of people thinking about money. All the hands of people reaching out for money. All their poor little bodies working for money. They are running in all directions for money."

It's the rich you can terrorize. The poor have nothing to lose."

By: vertjaars

vertjaars — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 22:09:14 +0000

Fascinating, but as Evans said, odd.
Very grabbing title though.

By: R J Evans

R J Evans — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 18:08:40 +0000

It is a little odd…! I clicked on this article to see which one, not because I know: the historical ones all seem much of a muchness when it comes to this particular deadly sin!