# Pope Clement VII _Pope of the Catholic Church from 1523 to 1534 (1478–1534)_ Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/pope-clement-vii Last updated: 2026-11-03 > Pope Clement VII (Latin: Clemens VII; Italian: Clemente VII; born Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici; 26 May 1478 – 25 September 1534) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 November 1523 to his death on 25 September 1534. Deemed "the most unfortunate of the popes", Clement VII's reign was marked by a rapid succession of political, military, and religious struggles—many long in the making—which had far-reaching consequences for Christianity and world politics. ## Quick facts - **Born:** 26 May 1478 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q83159#P569)) - **Place of birth:** Florence ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q83159#P19)) - **Died:** 25 September 1534 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q83159#P570)) - **Place of death:** Rome ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q83159#P20)) - **Occupation:** Catholic priest; transitional deacon ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q83159#P106)) - **Positions held:** Pope (29 November 1523 – 25 September 1534); apostolic administrator (7 June 1521 – 26 September 1522); Roman Catholic Bishop of Eger (12 September 1520 – 18 June 1523); Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals (10 January 1519 – 11 January 1520); apostolic administrator (30 July 1518 – 3 September 1518); apostolic administrator (5 July 1518 – 30 July 1518); Roman Caholic Bishop of Bologna (8 January 1518 – 3 March 1518); Roman Catholic Bishop of Albenga-Imperia (19 November 1517 – 5 May 1518); cardinal priest (6 July 1517 – 19 November 1523); cardinal priest (26 June 1517 – 6 July 1517); apostolic administrator (18 February 1517 – 27 February 1517); abbot (1516–1521); abbot of Cuixá (1516–1519); Roman Catholic Archbishop of Narbonne (14 February 1515 – 19 November 1523); Roman Catholic Bishop of Albi (21 November 1513 – 14 March 1515); cardinal-deacon (29 September 1513 – 26 June 1517); Roman Catholic Archbishop of Florence (9 May 1513 – 19 November 1523); cardinal (1513–1523) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q83159#P39)) ## About Elected in 1523 at the end of the Italian Renaissance, Clement came to the papacy with a high reputation as a statesman. He had served with distinction as chief advisor to Pope Leo X (1513–1521, his cousin), Pope Adrian VI (1522–1523), and commendably as gran maestro of Florence (1519–1523). Assuming leadership at a time of crisis, with the Protestant Reformation spreading, the Church nearing bankruptcy, and large foreign armies invading Italy, Clement initially tried to unite Christendom by making peace among the many Christian leaders then at odds. He later attempted to liberate Italy from foreign occupation, believing that it threatened the Church's freedom. The complex political situation of the 1520s repeatedly thwarted Clement's efforts. He inherited unprecedented challenges, including Martin Luther's Protestant Reformation in Northern Europe; a vast power struggle in Italy between Europe's two most powerful monarchs, Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire and Francis I of France, each of whom demanded that the Pope choose a side; and Turkish invasions of Eastern Europe led by Suleiman the Magnificent. Clement's problems were exacerbated by souring relations with Charles V in 1527, which led to the violent Sack of Rome, during which Clement was imprisoned. After escaping confinement in the Castel Sant'Angelo, Clement—with few economic, military, or political options… ## Questions **When was Pope Clement VII born?** Pope Clement VII was born on 26 May 1478 in Florence. **What positions has Pope Clement VII held?** Positions held by Pope Clement VII include: Pope (1523–1534); apostolic administrator (1521–1522); Roman Catholic Bishop of Eger (1520–1523); Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals (1519–1520); apostolic administrator (1518–1518). ## Related - [Pope Telesphorus](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-telesphorus) - [Pope Gregory XIII](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-gregory-xiii) - [Pope Pius I](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-pius-i) - [Pope Boniface I](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-boniface-i) - [Pope Agapetus I](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-agapetus-i) - [Pope Caius](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-caius) - [Pope Paul II](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-paul-ii) - [Pope Pius II](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-pius-ii) - [Pope Alexander VI](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-alexander-vi) - [Pope Paul III](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-paul-iii) - [Michael Dixon Bhasera](https://diginpl.com/people/michael-dixon-bhasera) - [Pope Pius III](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-pius-iii) ## Sources - [Wikipedia (English): Pope Clement VII](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Clement_VII) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) - [Wikidata item Q83159](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q83159) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) - [Image: El papa Clemente VII, por Sebastiano del Piombo.jpg by Sebastiano del Piombo (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:El_papa_Clemente_VII,_por_Sebastiano_del_Piombo.jpg) ## Licence and attribution Text from the Wikipedia article Pope Clement VII, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: El papa Clemente VII, por Sebastiano del Piombo.jpg — Sebastiano del Piombo, Public domain. ## Cite this page "Pope Clement VII". DigiNepal. Last updated 3 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/pope-clement-vii. Retrieved 4 November 2026.