Clement VII

views updated

Clement VII (1478–1534) Pope (1523–34), b. Giulio de Medici. He sided with Francis I in the League of Cognac, thus opposing the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. The imperial troops attacked Rome, and a compromise was won. He was unable to deal with the rise of Protestantism and his indecisiveness over the divorce of Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII is thought to have hastened the Reformation.

More From encyclopedia.com