October 1503 papal conclave facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Papal conclave October 1503
Dates and location
October 1503 Apostolic Palace, Papal States
Key officials
Dean	Giuliano della Rovere
Camerlengo	Raffaele Riario
Protodeacon	Giovanni Colonna
Election
Ballots	1
Elected pope
Giuliano della Rovere Name taken: Julius II
← September 1503 1513 →

The October 1503 papal conclave was a special meeting where cardinals chose a new pope. This meeting elected Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere, who became Pope Julius II. He took over after Pope Pius III died.

This important event happened during the Italian Wars. It took place in October 1503, just one month after the previous conclave. Because it was so soon, most cardinals were still in Rome and could attend. Thirty-eight cardinals took part. The group of cardinals, called the College of Cardinals, was smaller because Pope Pius III had not chosen any new cardinals during his short time as pope.

Why a New Pope Was Needed

The last conclave in September 1503 was also affected by the Italian Wars. Powerful armies were around Rome. These included forces from Louis XII of France, Ferdinand II of Aragon, and Cesare Borgia. Cesare Borgia was the son of the previous pope, Pope Alexander VI.

In the September conclave, Cardinal Georges d'Amboise was the favorite of the French king. Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere was also a strong candidate. He had returned to Rome after Pope Alexander VI died. However, Cardinal Francesco Piccolomini was chosen as pope on September 22. He was even favored by people who bet on who would become pope!

Pope Pius III (Francesco Todeschini-Piccolomini) became a priest on September 30, 1503. He was made a bishop on October 1 by Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere. He was crowned as Pope Pius III on October 8. Sadly, he died on October 18, after being pope for only 26 days. Since the cardinals had just been in Rome for his coronation, they were all ready for a new conclave.

More cardinals attended this October conclave than the one in September. Two cardinals who missed the September meeting were there this time. They were Ippolito d'Este and Pietro Isvalies. Cardinal d'Este had broken his leg on his way to the September conclave. He arrived back in Rome on October 28, 1503.

A writer named Niccolò Machiavelli reported to Florence that della Rovere had a 90% chance of being elected. This was on October 31, the day the conclave began.

How the Pope Was Chosen

In the month between the two conclaves, Cardinal della Rovere was busy. He met with Cesare Borgia and the Spanish cardinals. These cardinals had not supported him in the last election. Della Rovere promised to let Cesare Borgia keep his command of the papal army. He also agreed to let Cesare keep his lands in Romagna. Because of this, Cesare Borgia helped della Rovere get the support of all eleven Spanish cardinals.

It was also said that della Rovere promised Cardinal Pedro Luis de Borja-Lanzol an important job. This job was called the Major Penitentiary. Della Rovere himself held this job at the time. Interestingly, Borja-Lanzol was indeed given this job on December 7, 1503.

Della Rovere also talked with Cardinal d'Amboise, the French cardinal. This happened on October 5. Cardinal d'Amboise realized he couldn't become pope. He saw della Rovere as the best choice among the Italian cardinals for French interests. After the election, the new Pope Julius II had dinner with Cardinal d'Amboise. He confirmed d'Amboise's important role as a Legate in France. A Legate is like a special ambassador for the pope. Della Rovere also gave him the Legateship in Avignon. Cardinal d'Amboise's nephew, François Guillaume de Clermont, helped with these talks. He was made a cardinal on November 29, 1503.

Joannes Burchard, who kept a diary of papal events, wrote that the conclave began on the evening of October 31. The next morning, a special Mass was held. After the Mass, all thirty-seven cardinals signed an agreement.

The Agreement Cardinals Signed

Even though some people thought there was no agreement, the cardinals did sign one. It was called the Electoral Capitulations. This happened on November 1, 1503, which is All Saints' Day.

This agreement included important rules for the new pope:

• He had to continue the war against the Turks.
• He had to call a general council (a big meeting of church leaders) within two years.
• He could not start a war against any major country without two-thirds of the cardinals agreeing.
• The cardinals had to be asked for their advice on all important matters. This was especially true for choosing new cardinals.

The Voting Process

After the agreement was signed, everyone who wasn't a cardinal left. The doors were closed, and the voting began. The cardinals voted by writing their choices on ballots. A cardinal could even name more than one candidate on their ballot. Five cardinals did this. Burchard, who wrote the diary, recorded every vote. He noted that most ballots were written by the cardinals themselves.

Cardinal Ascanio Sforza and his group were unsure at first. But they voted for della Rovere on the first try. This was because della Rovere had promised them favors. Almost everyone voted for della Rovere on the first ballot. Only della Rovere himself voted for others. Cardinal d'Amboise also voted for other cardinals. So, there were two ballots that did not name della Rovere.

After della Rovere was elected, Cardinal Oliviero Carafa gave him the Fisherman's ring. This ring had belonged to Pope Pius III. But Julius II had his own ring, which surprised everyone. He then signed the Electoral Capitulations, promising to follow them. Burchard officially witnessed this. The new pope did not sign any requests for favors from the cardinals right away. Instead, he gave them to Fabio Santorio, whom he named Datary. He promised to sign all the requests later.

This conclave is said to be the shortest ever, lasting less than ten hours.

Images for kids

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  Pope Julius II, elected in this conclave.

See also

In Spanish: Cónclave de octubre de 1503 para niños