Pope Gregory XVI

Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari, a Camaldolese monk and previously a councillor of the Inquisition, was pope from 1831 to 1846. Against uprisings in the Papal States he repeatedly called in Austrian troops. According to the Britannica his secretary of state Lambruschini objected even to railways and gas lighting and was liberal chiefly in his use of spies and prisons. In the encyclical Mirari vos of 1832 Gregory called freedom of conscience a delusion and a most poisonous error and condemned freedom of the press as never sufficiently abhorred.

Life dates

1765-1846 (about 81 years old)

Country

Italy, Vatican City

Institutions

Holy See
Papal States

Category

Persecution, Censorship

Level of evidence

B two independent scholarly sources · what does this mean?

Background

Course of events

1. Cappellari was born at Belluno on 18 September 1765, entered the Camaldolese order early and became, among other posts, councillor of the Inquisition and prefect of Propaganda. On 2 February 1831 he was elected pope after a sixty-four-day conclave; he died on 1 June 1846.
   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel

   „was born at Belluno on the 18th of September 1765“

   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel

   „councillor of the Inquisition, prefect of the Propaganda“

   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel

   „On the 2nd of February 1831 he was, after sixty-four days’ conclave“

   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel

   „He died on the 1st of June 1846.“

2. When an uprising broke out in the Papal States in 1831 and the papal forces could not cope with it, Gregory appealed to Austria for help; on 25 February a strong Austrian force set out for Bologna. When large parts of the Papal States were again in revolt in December 1831, Austrian troops under Radetzky together with papal troops defeated the rebels at Cesena. According to the Britannica it was more than once necessary in the course of the struggle to call in the Austrian bayonets.
   Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 7 (1910), Pontifikat, Kirchenstaat

   „Gregory decided to appeal to Austria for help“

   Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 7 (1910), Pontifikat, Kirchenstaat

   „On 25 February a strong Austrian force started for Bologna“

   Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 7 (1910), Pontifikat, Kirchenstaat

   „These forces joined the papal troops at Cesena, attacked and defeated the rebels“

   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel

   „it was more than once necessary to call in the Austrian bayonets“

Response of the Church

1. According to the Britannica the promised reforms were put off so persistently as to anger even Metternich. Cardinal Secretary of State Lambruschini, in office from 1836, objected even to railways and gas lighting and was liberal chiefly in his employment of spies and prisons.
   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel

   „The reactionaries in power put off their promised reforms so persistently as to anger even“

   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel

   „objected even to railways and illuminating gas, and was liberal chiefly in his employment of spies and of prisons“

2. In the encyclical Mirari vos of 15 August 1832 Gregory called the view that freedom of conscience must be granted and guaranteed to everyone an absurd and erroneous opinion, indeed a delusion and a most poisonous error. He described freedom of the press as never sufficiently execrated and abhorred. For the suppression of harmful writings he invoked the Apostles, who had publicly burned such books, and the book bans of the Fifth Lateran Council and the Council of Trent.
   Evidence: Gregor XVI., Heiliger Stuhl, Enzyklika Mirari vos

   „quell’assurda ed erronea sentenza, o piuttosto delirio, che si debba ammettere e garantire a ciascuno la libertà di coscienza : errore velenosissimo“

   Evidence: Gregor XVI., Heiliger Stuhl, Enzyklika Mirari vos

   „A questo fine è diretta quella pessima, né mai abbastanza esecrata ed aborrita « libertà della stampa »“

   Evidence: Gregor XVI., Heiliger Stuhl, Enzyklika Mirari vos

   „hanno consegnato alle fiamme pubblicamente grande quantità di tali libri“

   Evidence: Gregor XVI., Heiliger Stuhl, Enzyklika Mirari vos

   „Basti leggere le disposizioni date a tale proposito nel Concilio Lateranense V“

   Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 7 (1910), Pontifikat, Lamennais

   „on the feast of the Assumption, 1832, the pope issued the Encyclical "Mirari vos"“

See also

• 1233-1966 · 733 years

  Book burnings and the Index of Forbidden Books

  • France
  • Italy
  • Spain
  • Vatican City
  • Anti-Judaism
  • Persecution
  • Censorship
• Person 1760-1829 · about 69 years old

  Pope Leo XII

  • Italy
  • Vatican City
  • Anti-Judaism
  • Persecution
  • Censorship
• Person 1792-1878 · about 86 years old

  Pope Pius IX (Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti)

  • Italy
  • Vatican City
  • Anti-Judaism
  • Torture
  • Censorship
• 1893-1910 · 17 years

  Persecution of Modernism 1893 to 1910: Alfred Loisy is dismissed, placed on the Index and excommunicated; Pius X orders censors and secret Councils of Vigilance in every diocese and requires the anti-modernist oath from the clergy

  • France
  • Italy
  • Vatican City
  • Heresy trials
  • Censorship

Original documents to read

1. Church document
   Gregor XVI., Heiliger Stuhl: Mirari vos, Enzyklika vom 15. August 1832 (italienische Fassung), 15 August 1832. Original (retrieved 31 Oct 2026)

Scholarly literature and reference works

1. Reference work
   Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911): Gregory XVI, 1 January 1911. Original (retrieved 31 Oct 2026)
2. Reference work
   The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 7 (1910): Pope Gregory XVI, 1 January 1910. Original (retrieved 31 Oct 2026)

Last changed on 31 October 2026. Is something missing or wrong? Suggest an addition or correction.