Pope Innocent IV

pope of the Catholic Church from 1243 to 1254

Pope Innocent IV (Latin: Innocentius Quartus; c. 1195 – December 7, 1254), born Sinibaldo Fieschi, was an Italian cleric of the Roman Catholic Church and the 181st Pope from June 25, 1243 until his death in 1254.[1]

Innocent IV
Papacy beganJune 25, 1243
Papacy endedDecember 7, 1254
PredecessorPope Celestine IV
SuccessorPope Alexander IV
Personal details
Birth nameSinibaldo Fieschi
Bornc. 1195
Genoa
Died16 July (1254-12-07)December 7, 1254
Naples
Other popes named Innocent

Early life

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Fieschi was born in Genoa.[2] The Fieschi were a noble family of Liguria.

His nephew will become Adrian V.[3]

He studied at the universities of Parma and Bologna.[2]

Cardinal

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Pope Gregory IX made Fieschi a cardinal on September 18, 1227.[2]

Cardinal Fieschi was elected pope on June 25, 1243. He chose the name Innocent IV.[2] Ottobuono Fieschi was the pope's cardinal-nephew during this reign.

Pope Innocent was involved in Italian and European political disputes.[2] The central problem of his papacy was a conflict with Frederick II, who was the Holy Roman Emperor.[4]

In 1245, Pope Innocent called church leaders to the Council of Lyons in France.[5]

Innocent granted the use of the red hat to the cardinals in 1245. The red had was a symbol of the cardinal's readiness to shed their blood in the cause of the church.[6]

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References

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The Coat of Arms of Innocent IV
  1. "List of Popes," Catholic Encyclopedia (2009); retrieved 2011-11-22.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "Pope Innocent IV", Catholic Encyclopedia; retrieved 2011-11-22.
  3. "Pope Adrian V", Catholic Encyclopedia; retrieved 2011-11-22.
  4. Chisholm, Hugh (1910). The Encyclopedia Britannica: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature and General Information. Encyclopedia Britannica Company. pp. 579–580.
  5. The Penny Cyclopædia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. C. Knight. 1838. p. 480.
  6. Chisholm, Hugh (1910). The Encyclopedia Britannica: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature and General Information. Encyclopedia Britannica Company. p. 580.

Other websites

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  Media related to Innocentius IV at Wikimedia Commons

Preceded by
Celestine IV
Pope
1243–1254
Succeeded by
Alexander IV