Kirchenakte Documented events from judgments, reports and church documents
Person 1504-1572 · about 68 years old · show in timeline

Pope Pius V (Michele Ghislieri)

Michele Ghislieri, born in 1504, a Dominican, was inquisitor in Como and Lombardy, from 1551 commissary general of the Holy Office and from 1557 grand inquisitor. According to the Britannica he made the name "Fra Michele dell'Inquisizione" a terror. As Pope Pius V (1566 to 1572) he sharpened the rules of the Inquisition, had princes and states hand over the accused, founded the Congregation of the Index in 1571 and expelled the Jews from the Papal States in 1569. He commanded the utter extermination of the Huguenots, approved Alva's bloody work in the Netherlands and excommunicated Elizabeth I in 1570. He was canonised in 1712.

Life dates
1504-1572 (about 68 years old)
Country
Italy, Vatican City
Institutions
Roman Inquisition
Papal States
Dominicans
Category
Anti-Judaism, Heresy trials, Persecution, Censorship
Level of evidence
B two independent scholarly sources · what does this mean?

What happened to the people

Who was affected? Victims and numbers

  1. In March 1569 Pius ordered the expulsion of the Jews from the Papal States; only in Rome and Ancona were they allowed to remain, for commercial reasons and on humiliating conditions. See the 1569 entry.
    Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Abschnitt Pius V.
    „In March 1569 Pius ordered the expulsion of the Jews from the states of the Church. For commercial reasons they were allowed to remain in Rome and Ancona, but only upon humiliating conditions.“
    Pius (Abschnitt Pius V.), Abschnitt Pius V.. Original · Archive copy

How were they charged and sentenced?

  1. As inquisitor in Como his zeal provoked such opposition that he had to be recalled in 1550. The chief inquisitor Carafa, later Pope Paul IV, made him commissary general of the Holy Office in 1551, cardinal in 1557 and finally grand inquisitor. According to the Britannica he discharged the office in a manner that made the name "Fra Michele dell'Inquisizione" a terror; even Pius IV was repelled by his excessive severity.
    Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Abschnitt Pius V.
    „he was appointed inquisitor in Como, where his zeal provoked such opposition as to compel his recall (1550)“
    Pius (Abschnitt Pius V.), Abschnitt Pius V.. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Abschnitt Pius V.
    „in 1551 appointed him commissary-general of the Holy Office“
    Pius (Abschnitt Pius V.), Abschnitt Pius V.. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Abschnitt Pius V.
    „finally grand inquisitor, which office he discharged in a manner to make the name of “Fra Michele dell’ Inquisizione” a terror“
    Pius (Abschnitt Pius V.), Abschnitt Pius V.. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Abschnitt Pius V.
    „whom, however, he repelled by his excessive severity“
    Pius (Abschnitt Pius V.), Abschnitt Pius V.. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Joseph Lataste, The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 12 (1911), Absatz 1
    „in 1557 Paul IV made him a cardinal and named him inquisitor general for all Christendom“
    Pope St. Pius V, Absatz 1. Original · Archive copy

What happened to those affected?

  1. In March 1571 Pius V established the Congregation of the Index and intensified the pursuit of heretical literature. According to the Britannica the result was the flight of hundreds of printers to Switzerland and Germany.
    Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Abschnitt Pius V.
    „In March 1571 the Congregation of the Index was established and greater thoroughness introduced into the pursuit of heretical literature. The result was the flight of hundreds of printers to Switzerland and Germany.“
    Pius (Abschnitt Pius V.), Abschnitt Pius V.. Original · Archive copy

Background

Course of events

  1. Michele Ghislieri was born on 17 January 1504 and entered the Dominican order at the age of fourteen. He was pope from 1566 to 1572, died on 1 May 1572 and was canonised by Clement XI in 1712.
    Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Abschnitt Pius V.
    „pope from 1566 to 1572, was born on the 17th of January 1504, in the Milanese. At the age of fourteen he became a Dominican monk.“
    Pius (Abschnitt Pius V.), Abschnitt Pius V.. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Abschnitt Pius V.
    „He died on the 1st of May 1572; and was canonized by Clement XI. in 1712.“
    Pius (Abschnitt Pius V.), Abschnitt Pius V.. Original · Archive copy

Why? Justification and motives (according to the sources)

  1. According to the Britannica his politics followed one principle: war upon the heretic and infidel. He spurred Philip II on in the Netherlands and approved Alva's bloody work. He denounced all temporising with the Huguenots and commanded their utter extermination ("ad internecionem usque"). According to the Britannica it cannot be proven that he was privy to the St Bartholomew's Day massacre, but his violent counsels could not fail to stir up the most savage passions. On 25 February 1570 he excommunicated Elizabeth I of England and declared her a usurper; he abetted plots and fomented rebellions against her.
    Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Abschnitt Pius V.
    „The political activities of Pius were controlled by one principle, war upon the heretic and infidel. He spurred Philip II. on in the Netherlands, and approved the bloody work of Alva.“
    Pius (Abschnitt Pius V.), Abschnitt Pius V.. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Abschnitt Pius V.
    „He denounced all temporizing with the Huguenots, and commanded their utter extermination ( ad internecionem usque ).“
    Pius (Abschnitt Pius V.), Abschnitt Pius V.. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Abschnitt Pius V.
    „While it cannot be proven that he was privy to the massacre of St Bartholomew, still his violent counsels could not fail to stir up the most savage passions.“
    Pius (Abschnitt Pius V.), Abschnitt Pius V.. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Abschnitt Pius V.
    „whom he excommunicated and declared a usurper (Feb. 25, 1570); but he was obliged to content himself with abetting plots and fomenting rebellions“
    Pius (Abschnitt Pius V.), Abschnitt Pius V.. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Joseph Lataste, The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 12 (1911), Absatz 3
    „In France he encouraged the League by his counsels and with pecuniary aid.“
    Pope St. Pius V, Absatz 3. Original · Archive copy

Response of the Church

  1. According to the Britannica his election as pope was the enthronement of the Inquisition; the utter extinction of heresy was his darling ambition. The rules of the Holy Office were sharpened and old charges long suspended were revived. Princes and states surrendered prominent accused: Cosimo de' Medici handed over Pietro Carnesecchi and two years later received the title of grand duke, Venice delivered Guido Zanetti, Philip II the Archbishop of Toledo, Bartolomé de Carranza. According to the Britannica his only regret was that he had sometimes been too lenient.
    Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Abschnitt Pius V.
    „The election of Pius to the papacy was the enthronement of the Inquisition“
    Pius (Abschnitt Pius V.), Abschnitt Pius V.. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Abschnitt Pius V.
    „The rules governing the Holy Office were sharpened; old charges, long suspended, were revived“
    Pius (Abschnitt Pius V.), Abschnitt Pius V.. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Abschnitt Pius V.
    „Cosmo de’ Medici handed over Pietro Carnesecchi (and two years later received in reward the title of grand duke, Sept. 1569); Venice delivered Guido Zanetti; Philip II., Bartolome de Carranza, the archbishop of Toledo.“
    Pius (Abschnitt Pius V.), Abschnitt Pius V.. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Abschnitt Pius V.
    „the only regret of Pius was that he had sometimes been too lenient“
    Pius (Abschnitt Pius V.), Abschnitt Pius V.. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Joseph Lataste, The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 12 (1911), Absatz 3
    „to give a new impulse to the activity of the Inquisition“
    Pope St. Pius V, Absatz 3. Original · Archive copy

See also

Scholarly literature and reference works

  1. Reference work
    Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911): Pius (Abschnitt Pius V.), 1 January 1911. Original · Archive copy (retrieved 31 Oct 2026)
  2. Reference work
    Joseph Lataste, The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 12 (1911): Pope St. Pius V, 1 January 1911. Original · Archive copy (retrieved 31 Oct 2026)
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