Cardinal Lorenzo Campeggio Timeline 1471-1539

Cardinal Campeggio was born Lorenzo Campeggio in Milan, Italy.

Campeggio gained a doctorate in law at Bologna.

Campeggio married Francesca Guastavillani. The couple had five children.

A son, Allessandro was born to Lorenzo and Francesca.

A son, Gianbaptista, was born to Lorenzo and Francesca Guastavillani.

Campeggio’s wife, Francesca, died.

After the death of his wife, Lorenzo Campeggio decided to pursue a career in the church and moved to Rome.

Campeggio was sent on a diplomatic mission to the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I. The Emperor made him Bishop of Feltre.

Campeggio was sent on a diplomatic mission to the Duke of Milan.

Campeggio was made a Cardinal by Pope Leo X.

Cardinal Campeggio was sent to England to negotiate a peace in Europe. Thomas Wolsey refused to allow the Cardinal entry unless he was created a papal legate so that they could meet on level ground.

Cardinal Campeggio was appointed Cardinal-Protector of England.

The new Pope, Clement VII, made Campeggio Bishop of Bologna.

Cardinal Campeggio was sent as papal legate to the Diet of Nuremberg.

Campeggio was made Bishop of Salisbury.

Sack of Rome
Campeggio was in Rome when the forces of Charles V entered Rome, sacked the city and took the Pope prisoner.

King Henry VIII of England had decided that his marriage to Catherine of Aragon was in contravention of teachings in the Bible . Despite Thomas Wolsey’s best efforts, an ecclesiastical court convened in England to try Henry VIII’s marriage was unable to reach a decision regarding the King’s marriage. The commissioners decided that since any decision they made could be overturned by the Pope the case should be referred to Rome.
The fact that the Pope was under the control of Charles V, Catherine’s nephew, meant it was unlikely that Pope Clement VII would find in Henry’s favour.

Pope Clement VII had negotiated his freedom from Charles V but was reluctant to offend Charles by furthering Henry’s divorce. Additionally, Clement VII like many other theologians did not believe that the passage in Leviticus applied if the brother had died. Although he received Dr William Knight he told him to tell Henry that he was unable to annul the marriage at this time.

Wolsey received a General Commission from the Pope allowing him to try the King’s marriage in England. However, he was not allowed to pass judgement. Wolsey replied to the Pope asking that the legate Campeggio be sent to England to pass judgement on the case.

The Pope agreed to send Cardinal Campeggio to England to try the King’s marriage.

Pope Clement VII formerly appointed Cardinal Thomas Wolsey and Cardinal Lorenzo Campeggio to examine the facts regarding the King of England’s marriage.

Campeggio was instructed by the Pope that his main objective in England was to delay any hearing of the King’s marriage case. He was also given a decretal commission that would allow him to declare the marriage null and void if the facts warranted and give both parties license to remarry.

Cardinal Campeggio reached Dover. He had been delayed by storms and heavy rainfall. Campeggio refused a state welcome preferring to travel quietly to London.

Cardinal Campeggio reached London. Wolsey and Campeggio met and Wolsey was astounded to learn that Campeggio intended trying to effect a reconciliation between Catherine and Henry before he would even consider hearing the case.

Campeggio met Catherine and advised her to enter a convent and retire gracefully. However, Catherine made it clear that her first marriage had been unconsummated and that she intended to live and die a married woman.

Catherine stated that she would not accept the findings of Wolsey and Campeggio’s court and that she would only accept the findings of the Pope himself. Campeggio was annoyed that Catherine would not retire to a convent and felt that she was compromising the position of himself and the Pope since the case would necessitate questions of theology and the relationship of theologians and God.

Wolsey and Campeggio opened the legatine court at Blackfriars. Henry and Catherine were summoned to appear before the court on 18th June.

Catherine of Aragon made formal protest to Rome against the Legatine Court.

Pope Clement VII decided to revoke the commission granted to Wolsey and Campeggio and refer the King’s divorce case to Rome.

Lorenzo Campeggio left England to return to Rome.

Cardinal Campeggio assisted at the coronation of Charles V as Holy Roman Emperor.

Lorenzo Campeggio was sent as papal legate to the Diet of Augsburg.

Charles V created Campeggio Bishop of Huesca and Jaca.

Henry VIII dismissed Campeggio as Papal Legate to England.

Cardinal Campeggio was stripped of his bishopric of Salisbury. This meant that he lost the income that went with the position.

Cardinal Lorenzo Campeggio died.