My Favorite Pope
This week is all-things papacy week, but I don't feel the need to pontificate [!], laud, or excoriate the late John Paul II. Instead, I'll say a few words about my favorite pope: Paul V.
Pope Paul V succeeded Leo XI in 1605; he served until his own death in 1621 when he was succeeded by Gregory XV (not "Gregory the Great", nor Gregory XIII of Gregorian calendar fame). Paul V was a Roman, born Camillo Borghese of the prominant and powerful Borghese family.
He's remembered for various things, one of the big ones being a dispute that he had with Venice. As related by Wikipedia
In April 1606 the Pope took the step of excommunicating the entire government of Venice and placed a interdict on the city. All clergy sided with the city, however, with the exception of the Jesuits, the Theatines, and the Capuchins, who were expelled from Venetian territories. Masses continued to be said in Venice, and the feast of Corpus Christi was celebrated with outstanding public pomp and magnificence, to the Pope's chagrin. Within a year (March 1607) the disagreement was mediated by France and Spain. The Serenissima refused to retract the laws, but asserted that Venice would conduct herself "with her accustomed piety." The Jesuits, considered subversive Papal agents, remained banned. No more could be expected. The Pope withdrew his censure.
This is probably what Wikipedia refers to, among other things, as part of his "hard-edged Catholic diplomacy". It's pretty clear that he's not my favorite because he was an all-around nice guy.
He also met with Galileo in 1616, after Galileo had been warned by Cardinal Bellarmine (on Paul's orders) not to "hold or defend the heliocentric ideas of Copernicus". So, it should be obvious that he's not my favorite because he was a patron of the sciences.
He gets the credit for completing St. Peter's Basilica, although some people think it's tacky that he had this engraved above the main entrance
IN HONOREM PRINCIPIS APOST PAVLVS V BVRGHESIVS ROMANVS PONT MAX AN MDCXII PONT VII
(In honor of the prince of apostles; Paul V Borghese, pope, in the year 1612 and the seventh year of his pontificate)
The real reason why he's my favorite will not impress the pious, I fear. When we visited Rome a few years back, among the many outstanding galleries we toured was the "Museo e Galleria Borghese", the Borghese Gallery, occupying the restored Borghese Villa. It was fabulous indeed. Among the things that caught our eyes were the two busts of Paul V sculpted by Gian Lorenzo Bernini (the Bernini — as in: "have you seen our Bernini", something that tour guides say in every respectable gallery in Rome).
The photo at right shows one of the busts, and you can probably see right away how appealing Isaac and I might find Camillo Borghese: the short, butch hair cut, the round face and penetrating gaze, the ultra-fashionable beard tapering to a little van Dyke-y point….
Thus, to my mind, Paul V was probably the hottest looking Pope in history, and that's why he's my favorite.
In: All, Beard of the Week, The Art of Conversation