Innocent XIII

(cardinal Michel Angelo Conti), born at Rome May 15,1655, succeeded Clement XI May 8,1721. He had previously been papal nuncio for a number of years at different courts, and was made cardinal in 1707, legate at Ferrara in 1709, and bishop of Viterbo in 1712. When he ascended the papal throne, the discussion concerning the constitution Unigenitus was in progress with great eagerness on all sides. On June 9, 1721, seven French bishops wrote to Innocent to obtain its withdrawal. Cardinal Althan complained also, in the emperor's name, of the trouble it was creating in Germany. The pope, however, referred the matter to the inquisitors, who condemned the letter of the bishops as injurious to the memory of Clement XI, and disrespectful towards the Holy See. Innocent XIII was a man of prudence and experience of the world, and less willful and headstrong than his predecessor. The most discreditable event of his reign was his giving the cardinal's hat to Dubois (q.v.). He was on the eve of suppressing the order of Jesuits when he died, March 7, 1724. 'Some think he was poisoned. See Bruys, Hist. des Popes, 5, 489; Sismondi, Hist. des Français, 27:442; De Piosseus, Memoires de la Regence du duc d'Orleans (1742, 3 vols. 12mo); A. Tricaud, Relation de la Mort d'Innocent XIII (Nancy, 1724, 12mo); Herzog, Real-Encyklop. 6, 677; English Cyclop.; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Géneralé, 25:925; Mosheim, Ch. Hist. cent. 3, p. 485; Guamacci, Vit. Ponti: 2, 137 sq., 381 sq.; Aschbach, Kirchen-Lex. 3, 467.