INNOCENT XI. (Benedetto Odescalchi), pope from 1676 to 1689, was born at Como on May 16, 161I. He studied law in Rome and Naples, entered the Curia under Urban VIII., and became successively protonotary, president of the Apostolic Chamber, governor of Macerate and commissary of Ancona. Innocent X. made him a cardinal (1647), legate to Ferrara, and, in 165o, bishop of Novara. He was chosen to succeed Clement X. on Sept. 21, 1676. He at once applied himself with great thoroughness to moral and administrative reform. The moral teaching of the Jesuits incurred his condemnation (1679) (see LicvoRi), an act which the society never forgave, and which it partially revenged by forcing, through the Inquisition, the condemnation of the quietistic doctrines of Molinos (1687), for which Innocent enter tained some sympathy. (See MoLINos. ) Innocent's protest against Louis XIV.'s extended claim to re galian rights called forth the famous Declaration of Gallican Liberties by a subservient French synod under the lead of Bossuet (1682), which the pope met by refusing to confirm Louis' cleri cal appointments. His determination to restrict the ambassadorial right of asylum, which had been grossly abused, was resented by Louis, who defied him in his own capital, seized the papal terri tory of Avignon, and talked loudly of a schism, without, however, shaking the pope in his resolution. Innocent opposed Louis' can didate for the electorate of Cologne (1688), approved the League of Augsburg, acquiesced in the designs of the Protestant William of Orange, even in his supplanting James II., whom, although a Roman Catholic, he distrusted as a tool of Louis. The great ob ject of Innocent's desire was the repulse of the Turks, and his efforts to that end entitled him to share in the glory of relieving Vienna (1683) . Innocent died on Aug. 12, 1689, and was suc ceeded by Alexander VIII.
The Life of Innocent has been frequently written. See Guarnacci, Vitae et res gestae Pontiff. Rom. (1751), i. Io5 sqq.; Palazzi, Gesta Pontiff. Rom. (Venice, 16go) ; also the lives by Albrizzi (1695), Buona mici (1776), and Immich (i900) . Particular phases of Innocent's activ ity have been treated by Michaud, Louis XIV. et Innoc. XI. (1882 sqq., 4 vols.) ; Dubruel, La Correspond.... du Card. Carlo Pio, etc. (see Rev. des quest. hist. lxxv. [19o4] 602 sqq.) ; and Gerin, in Rev. des quest. hist., 1876, 1878, 1886. For correspondence of Innocent see Colombo, Notizie biogr. e lettere di P. Innoc. XI. (Turin, 1878) ; and Berthier, Innoc. PP. Xl. Epp. ad Principes (1890 sqq.). An extended bibliography may be found in Herzog-Hauck, Realencyklopadie, s.v. "Innocenz XI."