Pope Innocent V (; c. 1225 – 22 June 1276), born Pierre de Tarentaise, was head of the Catholic Church and leader of the Papal States from 21 January until his death on 22 June 1276.
A member of the Order of Preachers, he acquired a reputation as an effective preacher. He held one of the two "Dominican Chairs" at the University of Paris, and was instrumental in helping with drawing up the "program of studies" for the Order. In 1269, Peter of Tarentaise was Provincial of the French Province of Dominicans. He was a close collaborator of Pope Gregory X, who named him Bishop of Ostia and raised him to cardinal in 1273.
Upon the death of Gregory in 1276, Peter was elected pope, taking the name Innocent V and becoming the first pope elected in a papal conclave. He died about five months later, but during his brief tenure facilitated a peace between Genoa and King Charles I of Sicily. Pope Innocent V was beatified in 1898 by Pope Leo XIII.
Early life Pierre de Tarentaise was born around 1225 near Moûtiers in the TarentaiseThe localisation of Peter's birth to the valley of Tarantaise is found already in the biography by Bernardus Guidonis, a contemporary and fellow Dominican. Ludovico Antonio Muratori, Rerum Italicarum Scriptores III (Milan 1733), p. 605. region of the County of Savoy. An alternative popular hypothesis, however, suggests that he was born in La Salle, in the Aosta Valley, in what is now Italy.Jean Prieur and Hyacinte Vulliez, Saints et saintes de Savoie (éditions Le Vieil, Annecy, 1999), pages 87-88. According to this hypothesis, a street in Aosta has been dedicated to Pope Innocent V. Both places were then part of the Kingdom of Arles in the Holy Roman Empire, but now the first is in southeastern France and the second in northwestern Italy. Another hypothesis, favored by some French scholars, is that Peter originated in Tarantaise in Burgundy, or Tarantaise in the Department of the Loire in the Arrondissement of Saint-Etienne.Ghislain Brunel, p. 793. In early life, around 1240, Peter joined the Dominican Order at their convent in Lyons.Paolo Vian, "Innocenzo V, beato." Enciclopedia dei papi (2000). (in Italian) His residence in Lyons may have been the occasion for him acquiring the name Burgundus: Benedictine Monks of S. Maur (editors), Gallia christiana 4 (Paris 1728), p. 149. If Peter were Savoyard, his presence in the French Province of the Dominicans must be convincingly explained. In the summer of 1255, he was transferred to the studium generale in the Convent of S. Jacques in Paris. This move was essential for someone who was likely to study at the University of Paris. He obtained the degree of Master of Theology, and quickly acquired great fame as a preacher.P. Glorieux, Répertoire des maîtres en théologie de Paris au XIIIe siècle I (Paris 1933), pp. 107-112.
Professor and provincial
Between 1259 and 1264, Peter held the "Chair of the French", one of the two chairs (professorships) that were allocated to the Dominicans.Pierre Feret, La faculté de Théologie de Paris, et ses docteurs les plus célèbres. Moyen Age. II (Paris 1895), pp. 487-494. Paolo Vian, "Innocenzo V, beato." Enciclopedia dei papi (2000). (in Italian)
In 1259, he took part in the General Chapter of the Dominican Order at Valenciennes,The Acta of this General Chapter are printed by Benedictus Maria Reichert, Acta Capitulorum Generalium Ordinis Praedicatorum Vol. I (Rome-Stuttgart 1898), pp. 95-101. The sections on studies are on pp. 99-100. under the leadership of the Master General, Humbertus de Romans, either due to his status as a Master at Paris or as an elected Definitor (delegate) for the province of France.A. Touron, Histoire ddes hommes illustres de l'Ordre de S. Dominique Tome premier (Paris 1743), p. 347. Peter participated together with Albert the Great, Thomas Aquinas, Bonushomo Britto,Histoire littéraire de la France: XIIIe siècle, Paris, Firmin-Didot, 1838, Volume 19, p. 103 Accessed October 27, 2012 and Florentius.Reichert, p. 95, note 1. Florentius was probably Florentius de Hidinio, also called Florentius Gallicus, Histoire literaire de la France: XIIIe siècle, Volume 19, p. 104, Accessed October 27, 2012. The presence of these scholars was due to the proximity of Valenciennes to the University of Paris. This General Chapter established a ratio studiorum, or program of studies, which was to be implemented for the entire Dominican Order,Reichert, p. 98-99. Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, Volume 10, p. 701. Accessed 9 June 2011 that featured the study of philosophy as a preparative for those not sufficiently trained to study theology. This innovation initiated the tradition of Dominican scholastic philosophy which was to be put into practice in every Dominican convent, if possible, for example, in 1265 at the Order's studium provinciale at the convent of Santa Sabina in Rome."The Place of Study In the Ideal of St. Dominic" , J. A. Weisheipl, O.P. (1923–1984), 1960. Accessed 19 March 2013 Each convent was expected to have an elected Lector to supervise the preparative studies and an elected Master for theological studies. In the next year he was assigned the title of Preacher General.
In 1264 a new Master General of the Order of Preachers was elected, John of Vercelli. It was taken as an opportunity to engage in some academic politics, since Humbertus de Romans, Peter's patron, was dead. One hundred and eight of Peter's statements in his Commentary on the Sentences of Peter Lombard were denounced as heretical.B. Smeraldo, Intorno all'opuscolo IX di san Tommaso d'Aquino. Pietro da Tarantasia ha errato in teologia? (Roma 1945). But, though Peter withdrew from his professorship, John of Vercelli appointed Thomas Aquinas to write a defense of the 108 propositions.Responsio ad fr. Ioannem Vercellensem de articulis 108 sumptis ex opere Petri de Tarentasia: M. Védrine, M. Bandel, M. Fouret (translators), Opuscules de Saint Thomas d'Aquin Tome deuxième (Paris 1857), pp. 50-91 (bilingual, Latin and French). Eleonore Stump, Aquinas (New York: Routledge 2003), xvii. Peter's reputation was such that he was immediately elected Provincial of the French Province for a three-year term (1264–1267). He was granted his release from office at the General Chapter, which was held in Bologna in May, 1267.Benedictus Maria Reichert, Acta Capitulorum Generalium Ordinis Praedicatorum Vol. I (Rome-Stuttgart 1898), p. 139. Potthast, no. 20022. At the conclusion of his term, and after Thomas of Aquinas' rejoinder to his critics was circulated, Peter returned to his chair at the University of Paris (1267). In 1269 he was reelected to the office of Provincial of the French Province, and he held the post until he was named Archbishop of Lyons.Paolo Vian, "Innocenzo V, beato." Enciclopedia dei papi (2000). (in Italian)
On 6 June 1272, Pope Gregory X himself named Peter of Tarantaise to be Archbishop of Lyons, a post he held until he was appointed to be Bishop of Ostia.Conradus Eubel, Hierarchia catholica medii aevi Vol. 1 editio altera (Monsterii 1913), p. 316. It is said, however, that Peter was never consecrated.Benedictine Monks of S. Maur (editors), Gallia christiana 4 (Paris 1728), p. 150, quoting Ptolemy of Lucca: factus fuit archiepiscopus Lugdunensis, et nondum consecratus in ea dignitate, factus est per eundem episcopus Ostiensis. He did, however, take the oath of fealty in early December, 1272, to King Philip III of France.P. Clerjon, Histoire de Lyon III (Lyon 1830), p. 284. The document was signed on the Thursday after the Feast of S. Andrew (which was celebrated on November 30), 1272. Pope Gregory himself arrived in Lyons in mid-November, 1273, intent upon bringing as many prelates as possible to his planned ecumenical council.Potthast, p. 1672. He met immediately with King Philip III of France. Their conversations were obviously harmonious, since Philip ceded to the Church the Comtat Venaissin, which he had inherited from his uncle Alphonse, Count of Toulouse. The Second Council of Lyons opened on 1 May 1274. The first session was held on Monday, 7 May. The principal items on the agenda were the Crusade, and the reunion of the Eastern and Western Churches.
Cardinal Bishop of Ostia
Peter of Tarantaise was elevated to the cardinalate on 3 June 1273, in a Consistory held at Orvieto by Pope Gregory X, and named Bishop of the suburbicarian See of Ostia. He participated in the Second Ecumenical Council of Lyons.Benedictine Monks of S. Maur (editors), Gallia christiana 4 (Paris 1728), p. 150. Joannes Dominicus Mansi, Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio Tomus 24 (Venice 1780), 37-136, at p. 62. During the council, he sang the Funeral Mass and delivered the sermon at the funeral of Cardinal Bonaventure, Bishop of Albano, who had died on 15 July 1274, and was buried on the same day in the Church of the Franciscans in Lyons. Pope Gregory, the Fathers of the Council and the Roman Curia all attended.Mansi, p. 67. After the conclusion of the council, Pope Gregory spent the autumn and winter in Lyons. He and his suite left Lyons in May 1275, leaving Vienne shortly after 30 September 1275, and arriving in Lausanne on 6 October.Augustus Potthast, Regesta pontificum Romanorum II (Berlin 1875), p. 1700. It was in Lausanne that met the Emperor-elect Rudolph, King of the Romans, and on 20 October received the King's oath of fealty.Pietro Maria Campi, Dell' historia ecclesiastica di Piacenza parte seconda (Piacenza 1651), p. 483. There were seven cardinals with the Pope at the time, and their names are mentioned in the record of the oath-taking: Petrus Ostiensis, Ancherus Pantaleone of S. Prassede, Guglelmus de Bray of S. Marco, Ottobono Fieschi of S. Adriano, Giacomo Savelli of S. Maria in Cosmedin, Gottifridus de Alatri of S. Giorgio in Velabro, and Matteo Rosso Orsini of S. Maria in Porticu. The party reached Milan on Tuesday, 12 November 1275, and Florence on 18 December. Though the papal party reached Arezzo in time for Christmas, the Pope was weak and ill. The stay in Arezzo was prolonged until Gregory X died, on 10 January 1276. Only three cardinals were at his deathbed: Peter of Tarantaise, Peter Giuliani of Tusculum, and Bertrand de Saint-Martin of Sabina, all cardinal-bishops.Richard Sternfeld, Der Kardinal Johann Gaetan Orsini (Papst Nikolaus III) 1244-1277 (Berlin 1905), p. 239. According to the Constitution "Ubi Periculum" which had been approved by the Council of Lyons, the Conclave to elect his successor was to begin ten days after the pope's death.
Papacy: January—June, 1276
Conclave