Giulio de' Medici had been raised in the best Medici tradition, receiving an education fit for a prince. Nepotism served him well; his cousin, Pope Leo X, made him a cardinal and Archbishop of Florence, and he became a trusted and capable advisor to the pope.
But when Giulo was elected to the papacy, taking the name Clement VII, his talents and vision proved to be lacking.
Clement did not understand the profound changes that were taking place in the Reformation. Trained to be more of a secular ruler than a spiritual leader, the political side of the papacy was his priority. Unfortunately, his judgment proved faulty in this, as well; after vacillating between France and the Holy Roman Empire for several years, he aligned himself with Francis I of France in the League of Cognac.
This proved to be a serious error. The Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, had supported Clement's candidacy for pope. He saw the Papacy and the Empire as spiritual partners. Clement's decision provoked him, and in the ensuing struggle, imperial troops sacked Rome, trapping Clement in the Castel Sant'Angelo.
To Charles, this development was an embarrassment, for neither he nor his generals had ordered the sack of Rome. Now his failure to control his troops had resulted in a grave affront to the most holy man in Europe. To Clement, it was both an insult and a nightmare. For several months he remained holed up in Sant'Angelo, negotiating for his release, unable to take any official action as pope and afraid for his very life.
It was at this moment in history that Henry VIII decided he wanted an annulment. And the woman he wanted to set aside was none other than the beloved aunt of Emperor Charles V.
Henry and Wolsey maneuvered, as they often did, between France and the Empire. Wolsey still had dreams of making peace, and he sent agents to open negotiations with Charles and Francis. But events slipped away from the English diplomats. Before Henry's forces could free the pope (and take him into protective custody), Charles and Clement came to an agreement and settled on a date for the pope's release. Clement actually escaped a few weeks earlier than the agreed-upon date, but he was not about to do anything to insult Charles and risk another imprisonment, or worse.
Henry would have to wait for his annulment. And wait . . . and wait . . .
Next: Resolute Catherine
