This week in Christian history: The sack of Rome; Tiyo Soga baptized; St. Theodosius dies
Holy Roman Empire sacks Rome – May 6, 1527
This week marks the anniversary of when Holy Roman Empire forces sacked Rome, Italy, killing thousands of civilians and forcing Pope Clement VII to flee the city.
Amid a war between Spain and France over who controlled Northern Italy, the pope had sided against Spanish King Charles V, who was also head of the Holy Roman Empire.
As Charles V gained control of the region, a contingent of his forces — which included Lutheran mercenaries — inflicted severe civilian losses and rampant destruction in the city. Additionally, according to Britannica, approximately 1,000 Swiss Guards died trying to defend the Vatican and help the pope escape.
“The sack of Rome shocked Europe and for decades afterward was a byword for wanton brutality, just as it took Rome decades to rebuild,” explained Britannica.
“The event can be understood as an episode in the then growing war between the Catholic Church and the forces of the Protestant Reformation, one that raged for nearly two centuries. It is also considered to mark the end of the Renaissance in Italy.”
Journalist Thomas Weibel described the sacking as “The darkest day in the history of the Swiss Guard” and noted that the modern papal security detail “commemorates the horrors of that day with the swearing-in ceremony for new recruits, which takes place every year on 6 May in Rome.”
