Cardinal
Before his elevation to the papacy, Sinibaldo was Vice-Chancellor of the Holy Roman Church (1226–27), being created Cardinal Priest of San Lorenzo in Lucina on 18 September 1227 by Pope Gregory IX, later serving as governor of the March of Ancona from 1235 until 1240.
It is widely repeated from the 17th century on that he became bishop of Albenga in 1235, but there is no foundation to this claim.
Innocent's immediate predecessor was Pope Celestine IV, elected 25 October 1241, whose reign lasted a mere fifteen days. The events of Innocent IV's pontificate are therefore inextricably linked to the policies dominating the reigns of popes Innocent III, Honorius III and Gregory IX.
Gregory had been demanding the return of portions of the Papal States taken over by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II when he died. The Pope had called a general council so he could depose the emperor with the support of Europe's spiritual leaders, but Frederick had seized two cardinals traveling to the council in hopes of intimidating the curia. The two prelates remained incarcerated and missed the conclave that immediately elected Celestine. The conclave that reconvened after his death fell into camps supporting contradictory policies about how to treat with the emperor.
Read more about this topic: Pope Innocent IV
Famous quotes containing the word cardinal:
“One must not make oneself cheap here—that is a cardinal point—or else one is done. Whoever is most impertinent has the best chance.”
—Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791)
“The Cardinal is at his wit’s end—it is true that he had not far to go.”
—George Gordon Noel Byron (1788–1824)
“Time and I against any two.”
—Spanish proverb.
Quoted by Cardinal Mazarin during the minority of Louis XIV.