Pope Benedict XIII

Benedict XIII
Benedict XIII
Papacy began	29 May 1724
Papacy ended	21 February 1730
Predecessor	Pope Innocent XIII
Successor	Pope Clement XII
Personal details
Born	Pietro Francesco Orsini; 2 February 1649; Gravina in Puglia
Died	21 February 1730 (aged 81); Rome
	Other popes named Benedict

Pope Benedict XIII (Latin: Benedict Tertius Decimus; 2 February 1649 – 21 February 1730), born Pietro Francesco Orsini, later Friar Vincenzo Maria Orsini, O.P., was an Italian priest of the Roman Catholic Church and the 246th Pope from 1724 until his death in 1730. He was the third and last member of the Orsini family to be a pope.

Early life

He was born in Gravina in Puglia near Naples. He was the son of Ferdinando III Orsini, Duke of Gravina.

In 1667, Orsini entered the Dominican Order. As a monk, his name was Vincent Maria.

Cardinal

Pope Clement X raised the monk to the rank of Cardinal of San Sisto on 22 February 1672.

In 1675, he was made Bishop of Manfredonia.

In 1686, he was made Archbishop of Benevento.

Pope

Cardinal Orsini was elected pope on May 28, 1724; and he chose to be called Benedict XIII.

Pope Benedict was involved in Italian and European political disputes.

In 1727, he ordered construction of the famous Spanish Steps in Rome.

In 1729, the pope helped bring about the Treaty of Seville between Great Britain, France, and Spain.

After his death

Benedict was buried in a tomb in Santa Maria sopra Minerva completed by Pietro Bracci and others.

Related pages

References

↑ "List of Popes," Catholic Encyclopedia (2009); retrieved 2011-11-7.
1 2 3 4 5 "Pope Benedict XI," Catholic Encyclopedia; retrieved 2011-11-7.
1 2 Chisholm, Hugh (1910). The Encyclopedia Britannica: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature and General Information. Encyclopedia Britannica Company. p. 718.
↑ The Penny Cyclopædia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. C. Knight. 1835. p. 215.
↑ Note on ordinal numbering: Popes Benedict XI–XVI are really the 10th–15th popes with that name. This is because Benedict X is now parsed as an antipope; but during the reign of Benedict XI, this was not recognized. The "true" or actual twelfth pope Benedict identified himself with the ordinal number XIII. In other words, the numbering of popes after the 10th Benedict needs to be explained -- compare Popes Boniface VIII–IX.
↑ The Encyclopedia Americana: A Library of Universal Knowledge. Encyclopedia Americana Corporation. 1918. p. 504.

Other websites

Media related to Benedictus XIII at Wikimedia Commons

"Pope Benedict XIII" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913.
Catholic Hierarchy, Pope Benedict XIII
Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church Archived 2011-10-30 at the Wayback Machine, Cardinal Orsini Archived 2012-01-18 at the Wayback Machine

Preceded by Innocent XIII	Pope 1724–1730	Succeeded by Clement XII

[1] "List of Popes," Catholic Encyclopedia (2009); retrieved 2011-11-7.

[catholic-2] 1 2 3 4 5 "Pope Benedict XI," Catholic Encyclopedia; retrieved 2011-11-7.

[britannica-3] 1 2 Chisholm, Hugh (1910). The Encyclopedia Britannica: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature and General Information. Encyclopedia Britannica Company. p. 718.

[penny-4] The Penny Cyclopædia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. C. Knight. 1835. p. 215.

[5] Note on ordinal numbering: Popes Benedict XI–XVI are really the 10th–15th popes with that name. This is because Benedict X is now parsed as an antipope; but during the reign of Benedict XI, this was not recognized. The "true" or actual twelfth pope Benedict identified himself with the ordinal number XIII. In other words, the numbering of popes after the 10th Benedict needs to be explained -- compare Popes Boniface VIII–IX.

[6] The Encyclopedia Americana: A Library of Universal Knowledge. Encyclopedia Americana Corporation. 1918. p. 504.