Tebaldo Visconti (abt. 1210 - 1276)

Born about 1210 in Piacenza, Holy Roman Empire

Died 10 Jan 1276 at about age 66 in Arezza, Holy Roman Empire

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Biography

Blessed Pope Gregory X Visconti is Notable.

Tebaldo was born about 1210 at Piacenza, Holy Roman Empire.^[1][2]

He was a member of the Secular Franciscan Order before ordination.^[1]

According to Wikipedia^[1]:

Visconti left Liège in 1267 for Paris at the behest of Pope Clement IV who sent him to England to assist Cardinal Ottobono Fieschi, who had been appointed Papal Legate in England in 1265, to support King Henry III in the rebellion of the barons, led by Simon de Montfort.^[3] It was during this assignment that Teobaldo became friends with Prince Edward of England (the future Edward I), with whom he went on Crusade. Cardinal Fieschi returned to Viterbo, and participated in the conclave of 1268-1271. Edward took the cross on 24 June 1268, followed Louis IX to Tunisia, and finally reached Acre on 9 May 1271.

Visconti, who was Archdeacon of Liège at the time, was elected to succeeded Pope Clement IV on 1 September 1271 after the papal chair had been vacant for two years and nine months, due to divisions among the cardinals.^[1]. He took the name Gregory X.^[2] On 6 January 1266, he was crowned in St. Peter's Basilica^[1].

Wikipedia^[1] also states:

The election of Visconti, after a 2-year, 9-month struggle, came as a complete surprise to him, since it took place while he was engaged in the Ninth Crusade at Acre in Palestine with King Edward I of England. Not wanting to abandon his mission, his first action upon hearing of his election, was to send out appeals for aid to the Crusaders. At his final sermon at Acre just before setting sail for Italy, he famously remarked, quoting Psalm 137, "If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning". Nonetheless, he had to return to Italy immediately, since he had been summoned by the Cardinals in order to accept the election at their hands. On 1 January 1272, the Pope-Elect reached Brindisi, and he arrived in Viterbo, the site of the Election, where the Cardinals were waiting, in early February 1272. On some unknown date he completed the Election by accepting the Papacy; it was in Viterbo that he assumed the papal mantle. But he was still careful to call himself Episcopus-electus. On 13 March 1272, he entered Rome with the entire Roman Curia. Since he was not in Holy Orders, he had to be ordained a priest, which took place on 19 March 1272. He was consecrated a bishop and crowned on 27 March 1272 at St. Peter's Basilica.

He convened the Second Council of Lyon.^[1]

He passed away on 10 January 1276^[2] and was beatified by Pope Clement XI in 1713.^[1]

Research Notes

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Note

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Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7} Wikipedia
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Vatican
3. ↑ Francis Gasquet, Henry the Third and the English Church (London 1905), pp. 403-416.