Urban Viii
Urban Viii [1]
pope from 1623 to 1644, was a native of Florence named Maffeo Barberini, and a pupil of the Jesuits. He developed a fondness for poetry, and entered the service of the curia, in which he filled many positions of great importance. His most influential work was perhaps the promotion of the restoration of the Jesuits to France. After he had become cardinal priest and archbishop of Spoleto, he was elected to succeed Gregory XV in the pontificate, Aug. 6,1623. His tastes were altogether those of an Italian secular prince, and he gave attention chiefly to the erection of fortifications, the enlisting of soldiers, the collecting of arms, etc. Amid the complications of the time, he at first supported the interests of France against Austria and Spain, and, in connection with Richelieu, was led even to the cultivation of relations with Protestants, so that he was not in sympathy with the Jesuitical method of enforcing the Edict of Restoration of 1629 in Germany, and directed his legate to the Dict of Ratisbon in 1630 to oppose the wishes of Austria. Complaints against this tendency were naturally raised by the Catholic princes and clergy, and found expression in the assembled Consistory itself. A number of cardinals even harbored the idea of convoking a council in opposition to the pope.
In 1631 he inherited the duchy of Urbino, but thereby became involved in difficulties with the duke of Parma and his allies. His nepotism also contributed towards the troubles of his pontificate. Despite his dislike of the governments which were most zealously devoted to the interests of Rome, Urban was an unwavering defender of the traditional theory of the papacy within the Church itself. He gave effect to the canonization of the founders of the orders of Jesuits and Oratorians; beatified Francis Borgia and others; added the Collegium de Propaganda Fidle (also Collegium Urbanum) to the Congregatio de Fide Cathol. Propaganda; gave to the bull In Coana Domini its present shape; abolished the order of female Jesuits; caused the publication of a new edition of the Breviary; condemned Galileo and his teachings; and in the bull De Eminenti declared himself against Jansen (q.v.). He forbade the clergy to use snuff in church on pain of excommunication. Urban was not, upon the whole, illiterate. His poems consist in part of paraphrases of Psalms and passages of the Old and New Tests. in Horatian measures, and in part of hymns on the Virgin and different saints. They were published in Antwerp, 1634; Paris, 1642; Oxford, 1726. He was also the author of Epigrams which were published with comments by Domulius (Rome. 1643). Urban died July 29, 1644. See Simonin, Sylvae Usrbaniance s. Gesta Urbauni (Antw. 1637); Ranke, Die Orum. Papiste (Appendix), 3, 408 sq., 433 sq.; Gieseler, Lehrb. d. Kirchengesch. (Bonn, 1855), 3,2, 592; Herzog, Real-Encyklop s.v.
