Pope Clement XIII was the 13th pope to take the name of Clement and the 248th man to lead the Catholic Church and its Papal States. In acknowledgement of the vast number of personalities who have governed Catholicism, this guide has been created to distinguish Clement XIII from the other Clements and other popes as a whole. Covered below is a summary of his time before becoming pope, a list of notable things he did or achieved during his papacy, a stat sheet and a handful of personal tidbits.
Life Before the Papacy.
Carlo Reozzonico was one of two children born to Venetian nobility. His father was named Giovanni Battista Rezzonico, his mother was named Vittoria Barbarigo and his brother’s first name was Aurelio. He received his early education from Jesuit teachers within the city of Bologna, then sought doctorates in canon and civil law from the University of Padua. Armed with his doctorate, Carlo moved to Rome so that he might attend the Pontifical Academy of Ecclesiastical Nobles.
1716 would see him become Referendary of the Apostolic Signatura and 1721 would see him become the governor of Fano. It would not be until December 23rd, 1731 that he would become a priest. Six years later, Pope Clement XII would elevate him to the cardinalate, dispatching Rezzonico as the Cardinal-Deacon of San Nicola in Carcere. Cardinal Rezzonico would also fill several of the important offices within the Roman Curia.
Rezzonico would later be made Bishop of Padua in 1743, even receiving his consecration by Pope Benedict XIV. He was quite active in his diocese, seeking to reform it as best he could, especially in regard to its societal demands. Cardinal Rezzonico would also serve as the Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria in Aracoeli and of San Marco, in 1747 and 1755, respectively.
Papal Acts and Legacy.
- Despite the majority of his position’s political influence being dedicated to France’s repeated requests to suppress the Jesuits, he was actually quite fond of the order and repeatedly stepped in to say they were acceptable under the eyes of God.
- He did his best to converse with Protestants in order to mend the schism; this achieved very little.
Quick Facts About Clement XIII
- He was born on on March 7th, 1693, within the city of Venice when it was also its own republic.
- He was born with the full name Carlo della Torre di Rezzonico.
- He died on February 2nd, 1769.
- His death was the result of an unspecified apoplexy, that is, some part of his body succumbed to internal bleeding and the situation was exacerbated to the point of fatality.
- His papacy began July 6th, 1758.
- His papacy ended when his life did on February 2nd of 1769.
- His papal successor was Clement XIV.
Five Interesting Facts About Pope Clement XIII.
- As Bishop of Padua, he was the first to actually engage with the diocese in half a century.
- He took the papal name of Clement in honor of Clement XII, who had appointed him cardinal.
- He was elected pope by receiving one vote more than the minimum to win.
- His brother Aurelio also found work within the church, serving as Procurator of San Marco in 1759.
- Upon becoming pope, he relocated a large portion of his family’s art collection into Ca’ Rezzonico, a massive building that showcases rococo and Venetian architecture of the 18th Century. It remains to this day, serving in the capacity as a cultural museum of 18th Century Venice.