Pope Clement VIII

Who was Pope Clement VIII?

Pope Clement VIII, born Ippolito Aldobrandini, was the head of the Catholic Church from 30 January 1592 to his death in 1605. He was from a Florentine family, and followed his father as a canon lawyer, becoming an Auditor of the Roman Rota, the highest ecclesiastical court constituted by the Holy See. He was only ordained as a priest at the age of 45, and rose to Pope in a further 12 years. He was an effective, if sometimes ruthless, administrator.