July 16, 1758: The Election of Pope Clement XIII

About Pope Clement XIII:

Carlo della Torre Rezzonico was born in Venice to an extremely wealthy family of merchants. His uncle was the patriarch of Venice. Rezzonico studied with the Jesuits in Bologna and graduated in 1713 from Padua with a law degree. He was twenty years of age. Later he was trained in diplomacy at the Accademia Ecclesiastica and entered the curial service in 1716. He served in several responsible posts and became a judge of the Rota for Venice in 1728. He was ordained in 1731.  Clement XII named him cardinal deacon in 1737 and Benedict XIV named him bishop of Padua in 1743. In this office, Rezzonico modeled himself after St. Charles Borromeo (1538 –1584), the great leader at the Council of Trent who strove to improve clerical standards. Rezzonico reconstructed the seminary at his own expense and held an important synod in 1746. He wrote a meaningful pastoral on priestly life. He was also the first bishop in fifty years to visit every parish in his diocese. His love for the poor was manifested through his generosity to them. When he left Padua, the home of St. Anthony, the people referred to Rezzonico as the saint as well.

Clement was a strong supporter of scholarship and the arts. He completed the famous Trevi Fountain. However, he also dismayed artists when he ordered the provocative nudity of statues and paintings to be discreetly covered—including those in the frescoes in the Sistine Chapel.

Additional information about Pope Clement XIII is featured on Papal History/Clement XIII.  His biography will acquaint you with the political climate surrounding his papacy and the myriad problems he faced as pope.

Here is a link to Papal History/Clement XIII

Pope Clement XIII

A Look at 50 Items in the Papal Artifacts’ Collection

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