Clement VIII
Ippolito Aldobrandini · 1592 – 1605
Revised the official liturgical books, reconciled Henry IV of France to the Church, and approved coffee for Catholics.
Ippolito Aldobrandini became pope in 1592 and governed with a combination of personal piety and political pragmatism. His most consequential political decision was accepting Henry IV of France's conversion from Protestantism, over fierce Spanish objections. Henry's quip that "Paris is worth a Mass" has overshadowed the diplomatic skill it took for Clement to manage the situation without alienating Spain. Clement personally reviewed and revised the Vulgate Bible, the Roman Missal, the Breviary, and the Pontifical, producing the standard liturgical texts used until the twentieth century. He was personally devout, visiting churches on foot and hearing confessions himself. Popular tradition credits him with approving coffee for Christian use after declaring it too delicious to leave to the Muslims alone, though the story may be apocryphal. He died in 1605.
The Politics of Conversion
Henry IV converting to Catholicism to secure the French throne was politically convenient. Clement had to decide whether to accept it. Spain wanted him to refuse. Clement accepted, and the result was the end of decades of religious war in France. Sometimes a pragmatic decision is the right one.
Getting the Books Right
Clement personally supervised the revision of the Church's most important texts: the Bible translation used at Mass, the Missal, and the Breviary. It was meticulous, unglamorous work that shaped Catholic worship for four hundred years.