25 Most Evil People of the 17th Century CE

Key Facts

Other names	Benedetto Odescalchi
Born	1611
Location	Como, Italy
Bloodline
Married
Children
Position	Pope (1676-1689)
Died	August 12, 1689 (aged 78)

Source of Facts and Important Announcement

Status	Under Article 64.6 of the Covenant of One-Heaven (Pactum De Singularis Caelum) by Special Qualification shall be known as a Saint, with all sins and evil acts they performed forgiven.
Date of formal Beatification	Day of Redemption UCA[E1:Y1:A1:S1:M9:D1] also known as Fri, 21 Dec 2012.
Source of Facts	Self Confession and Revelation of Sainthood by the Deceased Spirit as condition of their confirmation as a true Saint.

Background

He was born at Como in 1611, and was educated there by the Jesuits. He studied law at Rome and Naples, held successively the offices of protonotary apostolic, president of the apostolic chamber, commissary of the Marco di Roma, and governor of Macerata.

In 1647 at the age of 36, Pope Innocent X (1644–55) made him Cardinal Deacon with the title of Santi Cosma e Damiano. He afterwards became legate to Ferrara.

In 1650, Odescalchi became bishop of Novara but by 1655 due to his opulent lifestyle and funding of his own militia, he had spent all his wealth and accumulated substantial debts. In 1656, he sold his title as Bishop of Novara to his brother Guilio and went to Rome.

Cardinal Odescalchi positioned himself as a strong papal candidate after the death of Pope Clement IX (1667–69) in 1669. However, the French government rejected him on account of previous financial incompetence and overtly lavish lifestyle.

After several months of riots and disturbance by Cardinal Odescalchi using his militia, the French candidates were defeated an on September 21, 1676 Cardinal Odescalchi was elected Pope Innocent XI at the age of 65.

Pope Innocent XI was active in wide ranging foreign and domestic political actions. The Pope immediately set about redirecting the funds of the Curia from the Papal noble families into funding civil war, theft and violence across the world.

He financially supported with vasts resources James II in his violent attempt to reintroduce Catholicism into England.

Pope Innocent XI funded the Christian princes to expel the Turks from Austria and Hungary.

But his largest financial and political campaign was with French King Louis XIV who he financed and commissioned to eliminate the Protestants. As a result, in 1685, King Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes and killed tens of thousands.

A feud however erupted between Pope Innocent XI and Louis XIV over the French Papal territories which Louis XIV which to integrate into his domain. In November 1687, French military commander Marquis de Lavardin and a force of 800 elite soldiers entered Rome and took forcible possession of the Papal Palace.

Innocent XI died on August 12, 1689.

Most Evil Crimes

List of most evil crimes

Type	Year	Crime
		Of murder: (1676) French aristocrat Marquise de Brinvilliers (1639-76) is tortured, beheaded then burned after being accused of using witchcraft to kill relatives.
		Of murder: (1677-81) Estimated 100 people are tortured then beheaded, strangled or burned during witchcraft scare that sweeps Salzberg, Austria, in 4 years.


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