Aart Heering
In the Santa Maria dell'Anima you will also find the information leaflets in Dutch. That is understandable, because in this church just behind Piazza Navona, which is now the house of God of the German Catholics in Rome, lies the only Dutchman who has ever made it pope: Adrian VI.
500 years ago, on January 9, 1522, he was elected and just 600 days later, on September 14, 1523, he died.
His tomb, designed by the sculptor Baldassare Peruzzi, is executed in the artistic fashion of the time, with a bas-relief depicting the glorious entry of the Pope into Rome, and flowery texts praising his life and work.
The reality was different. In Renaissance Rome, where clergy and people were accustomed to the splendor of popes from the families Borgia and Medici, the arrival of a frugal Dutchman did not go down well at all.
Reformation of the Church
Adrian's intention to answer the Protestant Reformation with a reform of the Catholic Church itself failed miserably. Therefore, his brief stay in the Holy See has been regarded for centuries as an unfortunate interlude that should be forgotten as soon as possible.
In recent years, however, appreciation has returned for the Dutch pope, who wanted to purify his church of abuses, especially now in the Vatican also houses a reformist pope, who is said to see Adrianus as an example.
That is why its 5th centenary will be celebrated this year, both in the Netherlands and in Rome.
At the time of his election, the new pope had already had a varied career. Born in 1459 in Utrecht as carpenter's son Adriaan Florensz (also called Adriaan Boeyens), he was successively a biblical scholar at the University of Leuven, educator of the later emperor Charles V, bishop, cardinal and governor of Spain.
intermission
But in Rome hardly anyone knew him, so he was outside the political games within the Curia. Moreover, he was already 62, then an advanced age, and in poor health. In short, the ideal candidate as interim pope. That was also the reason why the conclave chose him when pro-French and pro-German cardinals could not agree among themselves.
Adrian was still in Spain when the news of his election reached him, but it took more than half a year before he reached Rome. Travel was slow in those days, and the cardinals in Rome were in no hurry to pick up their new chief.
Break
But on August 31, the time had come: the new pope was inaugurated in St. Peter's and immediately took a series of decisions that constituted a radical break with the policies of his predecessors.
He refused the traditional Glorious Entry, sent thieves, whores and loungers out of the city, ordered the cardinals to shave off their beards, seen as a sign of vanity, and declined all requests for favors or jobs.
Finding the Vatican treasury more than empty, he dismissed the artists, scholars, actors, musicians, flatterers and courtesans who had hitherto populated the papal palaces.
Finally, he fired the pope's entire personal staff—cooks, footmen, valets and entertainers—in exchange for one Dutch maid.
The Romans were furious and attacked the 'stingy, false Utrecht enemy' with razor-sharp anonymous satires, which were pasted on the ancient statue of Pasquino, near Piazza Navona (a custom that still exists today).
Field trip and cleaning
But Adrian had other things on his mind. He tried to enthuse the European monarchs for a joint campaign against the Turks in Eastern Europe, which, however, did not take place because they preferred to keep arguing among themselves.
He also tried to find a satisfactory answer to the Reformation, which had started 5 years earlier with the publication of the critical theses of Martin Luther.
Unlike the cardinals in Rome, reveling in power and luxury, Adrian knew and understood the reasons for discontent among the population. So he openly asked for an apology for the mistakes his predecessors had made and promised a thorough cleaning of the Church, starting with the Roman Curia.
But alas, for the Protestants his mea culpa came too late and the prelates were unwilling to moderate their lifestyle. So nothing came of this either and when Adrianus died shortly afterwards and was succeeded by another pope from the House of Medici, his efforts could be regarded as a total failure.
However, a quarter of a century later that reform came with the Council of Trent, although by then it was already much too late to restore unity.
Pope Adrian VI now
In his native city of Utrecht, the Paushuize still reminds us of Adrianus. He had this building built in 1517 as a spacious home for after his return from Spain. Because of his election as pope, that didn't happen and he was never able to move into the building.
There has been a statue of him on the square in front of the Paushuize since 2005, inspired by the portrait that the Dutch painter Jan van Scorel made of him. In Leuven is the house where he lived as magister Adriaan Florensz.
With a bequest of his own, it has been transformed into a still existing institute for students of theology, the Pope's College.
In Rome, in the Chiesa di Santa Maria dell'Anima you can see his tomb. A rather gaudy monument, which was beautifully restored in 1999 and is also regularly visited by Dutch pilgrims.
In the anniversary year 2022, a series of remembrance activities are planned. On January 9, the pausecast on NPO 5 by Andrea Vreede and Wilfred Kemp about Adrianus VI.
On January 14, a small congress will be dedicated to him in the Campo Santo Teutonico in the Vatican. In February or March, the Vatican Post Office issues a stamp with the portrait of the Dutch Pope.
A mass will be celebrated in his honor on April 24 in the Santa Maria dell'Anima. His inauguration in Rome is solemnly commemorated on 31 August in the Dom of Utrecht.
In the same city, the Catharijneconvent museum has an exhibition on the program, dedicated to Adrian VI and the painter Jan van Scorel. Dates to be determined.
You can read more about the life and work of Adrianus van Utrecht in the biography that Twan Geurts wrote.
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