Blessed Pope Innocent V
Blessed Pope Innocent V (Latin: Innocentius V; born Pierre de Tarentaise; c. 1224/1225, Tarentaise Valley, Savoy — died 22 June 1276, Rome) was Pope from 21 January 1276 until his death, a pontificate of only 152 days. A professed friar of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans), he was the first member of the Dominican Order to become pope. Before his elevation he was one of the foremost theologians of his generation: Regent Master at the University of Paris, Provincial of France, and a prominent participant in the Second Council of Lyon (1274) as Archbishop of Lyon and then Cardinal-Bishop of Ostia. As pope, he was the first pontiff elected under the new conclave rules of Gregory X's Ubi periculum. He died before he could implement his ambitious plans for Christian unity and a crusade. He was beatified by Pope Leo XIII on 14 March 1898; his feast is celebrated on 22 June.[1][2][3]
Stored in Cargo: Blessed Pope Innocent V
| Blessed Pope Innocent V | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | June 22 |
| Profession | Pope; Theologian; Archbishop; Cardinal; Dominican friar |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Order of Preachers (Dominicans) |
| Patronage | Dominican Order; promoters of Christian unity |
| Attributes | Papal vestments with Dominican habit; commentary on the Sentences |
| Birthplace | Tarentaise Valley, Savoy (modern Savoie, France) |
| Death Place | Rome, Italy |
| Cause of Death | Fever; died 22 June 1276 at Rome, five months into his pontificate |
| Primary Shrine | Basilica of Saint John Lateran, Rome, Italy |
| Liturgical Class | Not in the General Roman Calendar; observed by the Dominican Order |
| Historic Class | Not included |
Biography
Birth and entry into the Dominican Order
Pierre de Tarentaise was born around 1224 or 1225 in the Tarentaise Valley, the mountainous region of Savoy in the western Alps, a territory that was in the thirteenth century part of the County of Savoy.[1][2] Almost nothing is known of his parents or family. Around the age of seventeen he joined the Order of Preachers in Lyon, inspired — as so many young men of his generation were — by the example of the early Dominicans.[1]
He studied philosophy and theology with the Dominicans in Paris and came into contact with the great Albert the Great (Albertus Magnus), then the leading theologian of the Order.[2] Pierre proved to be an exceptionally able student. He subsequently lectured on theology in Paris and became one of the two Regent Masters of the University of Paris's Dominican Chair, at a time when the other Chair was held by Thomas Aquinas. Their two chairs together represented the leading edge of Christian philosophical theology in Europe.[1][3]
Theological work
Pierre's principal scholarly work was a commentary on the Sentences of Peter Lombard, the standard advanced theological textbook of the medieval university. He also composed commentaries on Aristotle and wrote treatises on philosophical and theological questions.[2] His work reflects the Thomistic-Dominican synthesis of Aristotelian philosophy and Christian theology, and he was a friend and ally of Thomas Aquinas in the disputes over the mendicant orders' role in the university.[1]
He served as Provincial of the Dominican Province of France in 1264–1267, overseeing the Dominican houses in France during a period of rapid growth and intellectual vitality.[2]
Archbishop, Cardinal, and the Second Council of Lyon
In 1272, Pope Gregory X appointed Pierre Archbishop of Lyon, a major see that was the ecclesiastical capital of France.[1] This was a period of intense preparation for the Second Council of Lyon, which Gregory was determined to convene as the central act of his pontificate. In January 1273, Gregory elevated Pierre to Cardinal-Bishop of Ostia, one of the most senior positions in the College of Cardinals, traditionally held by the dean of the college.[2][3]
At the Second Council of Lyon (1274), Pierre played a significant role in the theological discussions, especially those concerning the procession of the Holy Spirit — the Filioque question that was central to the divide between the Latin and Greek Churches.[2] He also participated in drafting the conciliar documents. The Council achieved a short-lived reunion with the Eastern Church and promulgated Gregory X's famous conclave decree, Ubi periculum.
Election as pope
Pope Gregory X died on 10 January 1276. Under the new rules of Ubi periculum that Gregory himself had promulgated at Lyon, the cardinals entered enclosure at the papal palace in Viterbo within ten days. The conclave of 1276 was the very first to be held under the new strict rules, and it proceeded with a speed that vindicated Gregory's reform: Pierre de Tarentaise was elected on 21 January 1276, after a conclave of only one or two days.[1][2] He took the name Innocent V and was consecrated pope on 22 February 1276 — the feast of the Chair of Saint Peter.
He was the first Dominican to become pope, a landmark in the Order's history and in the broader story of the mendicant orders' integration into the highest levels of the Church.[3][1]
Pontificate and death
Innocent V's pontificate lasted only about five months (152 days), far too brief a time for him to pursue the grand plans he had inherited from Gregory X. He worked to conclude peace between Genoa and Charles of Anjou (King of Sicily), seeking to stabilise the Italian peninsula and secure support for a crusade.[1] He also engaged in diplomatic correspondence with Emperor Michael VIII Palaeologus to maintain the fragile union achieved at Lyon and addressed the contested kingship of Castile. He had little time for more.
Innocent V died of a fever at Rome on 22 June 1276, fewer than five months after his election.[2][1] He was buried in the Lateran basilica, where a cult soon developed around his tomb.
Significant events
- Born c. 1224/1225 in the Tarentaise Valley, Savoy; entered the Dominican Order in Lyon.
- Studied under Albert the Great; became Regent Master at the University of Paris.
- Wrote a major commentary on the Sentences of Peter Lombard.
- Dominican Provincial of France (1264–1267).
- Appointed Archbishop of Lyon by Gregory X (1272).
- Created Cardinal-Bishop of Ostia (January 1273).
- Participated in the Second Council of Lyon (1274).
- Elected Pope January 21, 1276 — first Dominican pope; first pope elected under the new conclave rules.
- Died at Rome, June 22, 1276 (152-day pontificate).
- Beatified by Pope Leo XIII, March 14, 1898.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Tarentaise Valley, Savoy (modern Savoie, France)
Death location: Rome, Italy
Notable location: Birthplace of Pierre de Tarentaise (Tarentaise Valley, Savoy, France)
Notable location: Where he studied and taught theology; Regent Master of the Dominican Chair (University of Paris, Paris, France)
Notable location: Where he served as Archbishop (1272) and attended the Second Council of Lyon (1274) (Lyon, France)
Notable location: Where he served as Pope (Jan–Jun 1276) and died (Vatican City / Rome, Italy)
Notable location: Where he is buried (Lateran basilica) (Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano, Rome)
Dynamic content
Parishes
No parishes dedicated to Pope Innocent V have been added to the database yet.
Media
No media found for this saint.
Shrines
Dynamic shrines
No results
No shrines where this saint is the primary saint.
Canonization
Beatification
The cult of Innocent V, centred on his tomb in the Basilica of Saint John Lateran, had persisted for centuries when Pope Leo XIII formally beatified him on 14 March 1898.[1][3] The beatification recognised his personal holiness, his distinguished theological career, and his role as a reforming bishop and cardinal. He has not been canonized.
Feast day
June 22 (anniversary of his death)
Veneration
Blessed Innocent V is venerated principally by the Order of Preachers, which counts him among its most distinguished sons alongside Thomas Aquinas, Albert the Great, and other Dominican scholars of the scholastic golden age. His tomb in the Lateran basilica is the site of his primary veneration. He is remembered as a theologian, as the first Dominican pope, and as a brief but dedicated pastor of the universal Church in a year of rapid succession on the papal throne (1276 saw three popes: Gregory X, Innocent V, and Adrian V, followed by John XXI).[2]
Prayers
Authored
There are prayers authored by this saint in prayers list yet.
Intercessory
There are no prayers asking for this saint's intercession in prayers list yet.
External links
- Wikipedia – Pope Innocent V
- Britannica – Blessed Innocent V
- CatholicSaints.Info – Pope Blessed Innocent V
- Order of Preachers – Blessed Innocent V