Urban VI, the first to ascend the papal chair in the period of the " great schism," was previously named Bartholomew of Prignano, and was a native of the citv of Naples. He became archbishop of Bari and followed (iregory XI, April 8, 1378, the people of Rome having demanded an Italian pope. He attempted to reform the many and scandalous abuses which had grown up during the absence of the popes at Avignon, and did not hesitate to assail even bishops and cardinals; and having offended the clergy, he was nnfortimate enough to alienate the good-will of many influential laymen, also, by his haughty and arbitrary manner. The car- dinals, therefore, proceeded to elect a new pope on the plea that the election of Urban was not freely made, but was forced on the cardinals by the people. Count Robert of Geneva was the new choice, and he assumed the title of Clement VII ; and as Urban retained a large body of adherents, the great schism was at once con- summated. Urban was supported by Italy, England, (iermauy, and Poland. Queen Joanna of Naples and Sicily had acknowledged him, but was driven into an alliance with Clement by his pri^le and obstinacy; and he thereupon induced the heir to her throne, duke Charles of Durazzo, to invade her territories. Soon af- terwards he quarrelled with Charles also, and excom- municated that prince. The cardinals, who had con- spired with Charles against him, were imprisoned and X.— U u
tortured, and, after a time, five of them were put to death. To Ladislaus, the heir of Charles, Urban denied the possession of Naples, claiming that it was a papal lief, and he organized an expedition to defend his claim ; but when his soldiers deserted his standard, he returned to Rome, October, 1388, and employed himself thence- forward more especially with ecclesiastical affairs. He ordered that the Jubilee should be observed once every thirty-three years, and that its next celebration should take place in 1390. He also introduced the Feast of the Visitation of Mary, and decreed that divine worship might be celebrated on Corpus Christi Day, even duriiig the enforcement of an interdict. He dieil Oct. 15, 1389, as many supposed, of poison. See Mansi, p. 609; Gie- seler, p. 132 sq. ; Herzog, lieal-Ency/clop. s. v.
Urban VII, of Genoese extraction, though born at Rome, was previously named John Baptist Castaffmi. He was archbishop of Rossano, member of the Council of Trent, repeatedly a legate to Germany and Spain, and, finally, a cardinal. He was elected to the papacy as the successor of Sixtils V, but died twelve days after the election, and before his consecration, Sept. 27. 1590. See Ranke, Die rum. Pdpste, etc. (Berl. 183G), ii,219 sq.; Herzog, lieul-Encyklop. s. v.
Urban VIII, pope from 1623 to 16-14, was a native of Florence named Maffeo Barberini, and a pupil of the Jesuits. He developed a fondness for poetry, and en- tered the service of the curia, in which he filled many positions of great importance. His most influential work was perhaps the promotion of the restoration of the Jesuits to France. After he had become cardinal- priest and archbishop of Spoleto, he was elected to suc- ceed Gregory XV in the pontificate, Aug. 6, 1623. His tastes were altogether those of an Italian secular prince, and he gave attention chiefly to the erection of fortifi- cations, the enlisting of soldiers, the collecting of arms, etc. Amid the complications of the time, he at first supported the interests of France against Austria and Spain, and, in connection with Richelieu, was led even to the cultivation of relations with Protestants, so that he was not in sympathy with the Jesuitical method of enforcing the Edict of Restoration of 1629 in Germany, and directed his legate to the Diet of Ratisbon in 1630 to oppose the wishes of Austria. Complaints against this tendency were naturally raised by the Catholic princes and clergy, and found expression in the assem- bled Consistory itself. A number of cardinals even har- bored the idea of convoking a council in opposition to the pope. In 1631 he inherited the duchy of UrbinOj but thereby became involved in difficulties with the duke of Parma and his allies. His nepotism also con- tributed towards the troubles of his pontificate. De- spite his dislike of the governments which were most zealously devoted to the interests of Rome, Urban was an unwavering defentler of the traditional theory of the papacy within the Church itself. He gave effect to the canonization of the founders of the orders of Jesuits and Oratorians ; beatified Francis Borgia and others ; added the Collegium de Propaganda Fide (also Collegium Urbanum) to the Congregatio de Fide Cathol. Propa- ganda; gave to the bull In Ccena Domini its present shape; abolished the order of female Jesuits; caused the publication of a new edition of the Breviary ; con^ demned Galileo and his teachings; and in the bull JJe Eminenti declared himself against Jansen (q. v.). He forbade the clergy to use snuff in church on pain of ex- communication. Urban was not, upon the whole, illit- erate. His poems consist in part of paraphrases of Psalms and passages of the Old and New Tests, in Ilora- tian measures, and in part of hymns on the Virgin and different saints. They were published in Antwerp, 1634; Paris, 1642; Oxford, 1726. He was also the au- thor of Epifjrams which were published with comments by Dorraulius (Rome, 1643). Urban died July 29, 1644. See Simon in, Sylvce Urbuniance s. Gesta. Urbani (Antw. 1637) ; Ranke, Die rdm. Pdpste (Appendix), iii, 408 sq.,