To Live in the Shadow of a Giant... Spender: Pope Adrian VI

The Little Man Himself, Adrian

Note: This can be considered a follow-up to my previous post about Pope Leo X, found here.

Of the few virtues people consider universal, charity is high up on the list. However, another one that few people ever think of, or apply to their lives, is frugality. And indeed, from the beginning of his time in the Papacy to the very end of it, this was an issue that Pope Adrian VI had to deal with. Having to serve as the successor to the infamously burning wallet that was Pope Leo X, Adrian found himself with all of the mess and none of the benefits his predecessor enjoyed. To mix up a famous quote: "He was the pope they needed, not the pope they wanted." The reason for such was his extreme efforts to restore the Catholic Church to it's former economic position. To do so required numerous spending cuts, which the Cardinals and other Catholic officials did not like in the slightest due to the luxury they immersed themselves in during the time of Leo's reign.

To say that I see myself in Adrian's shoes is an understatement. He was truly a holy man, (as well as a miser, but still a holy one) surrounded by people who would spend lavish amounts of currency for new robes. Almost all my life I have done my best to hold on to every penny I touch, whether that be by buying new shoes on clearance, not spending a dime of my summer allowance in order to buy a game I wanted later, or even skipping meals so that my semester budget doesn't go overboard. Meanwhile I look around me and people are searching to buy the newest gadget, the clothes that are in fashion, the shoes whose adornments match their hair. Pope Adrian is the type of person I would look up to in this world, one who is frugal, quiet and truly believes in the things he preaches and does. I sincerely hope that this man is happy in the next world.

Image Credit: "Pope Adrian VI" (public domain images via Wikimedia Commons)

Papal Patronage: Leo's Luxuries

Known for his cheerful disposition (and his spending of the Church's coffers), Pope Leo X is an interesting figure within the period known as the Renaissance. Simultaneously a genuine holy man, a luxurist and a politician, Leo has become a controversial figure in this modern era. The most infamous reason, of course, was his excessive spending. Two years of his papacy had led to every florin and ducato that his predecessor Julius II had ever obtained vanishing into thin air. His own personal income would make most company CEO's jealous, with a recorded income of 580,000 ducats one year, which translates into the modern US dollar as 102.5 million. When finally realizing how quickly money was going down the drain, he resorted to such measures as selling the robes and hats of cardinals, pawning off items of the church and even statues of the apostles themselves. It is hardly surprising, then, that his successor Pope Adrian VI became known as a severe penny pincher.

The Benefits?
Just because he spent enormous sums of money does not mean he did no good. In 1513 he reformed the University of Rome such that all of the faculties which had been shut down due to budget cuts were restored, all of the professors teaching there had their pay increased as well as hiring teachers from across the continent. His donations helped establish the first Greek printing-presses within Rome, and he gave stable jobs within the clergy to important artists and poets at the time, the most famous of whom being Raphael. He donated millions of modern dollars annually to hospitals, war veterans as well as many other sick and inflicted. The highest salaries paid at that time were given to Musicians to lend their voice (or their instrument) to the Church Choir, and it was under his guidance that the common folk, regardless of language, could join the Choir in song.

Regardless of whether or not he was truly a hedonist as some accused him of being, Leo was a significant factor in the development of music and other arts during his time.