Recommended

This week in Christian history: Pope excommunicates Venice, Father Francis Duffy born

Pope Julius II excommunicates Venice – April 27, 1509

Pope Julius II (1443-1513), the head of the Catholic Church known for commissioning the Sistine Chapel and for supporting various military efforts to empower the Papal States.
Pope Julius II (1443-1513), the head of the Catholic Church known for commissioning the Sistine Chapel and for supporting various military efforts to empower the Papal States. | Public Domain

This week marks the anniversary of when Pope Julius II issued an excommunication and interdict against the entire city of Venice due to its growing political power.

Julius II had sought to reinforce the political influence of the Papal States and issued the edict, which allowed for other competing powers “to attack or despoil” Venice “or any of her subjects, to obstruct her traffic on land or sea and to do her all possible harm and hurt.”

Get Our Latest News for FREE

Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know.

The Venetian Republic initially ignored the edict; it eventually caved into the political pressure of the pope due to numerous military defeats by powers inspired by the interdict.

“The horrified Venetians submitted to Pope Julius who, in a remarkable volte-face, allied the papacy with Venice to prevent the French from menacing his power in Italy,” wrote Richard Cavendish for History Today in 2009.

“After his improbable transformation into the savior of Venice, Julius died in 1513. After years of fighting, complicated maneuverings and shifting alliances, the situation in Italy returned to the uneasy stalemate of the beginning of his papacy.”

Follow Michael Gryboski on Twitter or Facebook

Was this article helpful?

Help keep The Christian Post free for everyone.

By making a recurring donation or a one-time donation of any amount, you're helping to keep CP's articles free and accessible for everyone.

We’re sorry to hear that.

Hope you’ll give us another try and check out some other articles. Return to homepage.

Most Popular

More Articles