CLEMENT XIII. (Carlo della Torre Rezzonico), pope from 1758 to 1769, was born in Venice on March 7, 1693, filled various important posts in the Curia, became cardinal in 1737, bishop of Padua in 1743, and succeeded Benedict XIV. as pope on July 6, 1758. He was a man of upright and pacific intentions, but his pontificate was anything but tranquil. The Jesuits, who had been expelled from Portugal, France, Spain, the Two Sicilies and Parma, turned to the pope as their natural protector ; but his protests (cf. the bull Apostolicum pascendi menus of Jan. 1765) were unheeded (see JEsurrs). A clash with Parma aggravated his troubles. The Bourbon kings espoused their relative's quarrel, seized Avignon, Benevento and Ponte Corvo, and demanded the suppression of the Jesuits (Jan. 1769) . Clement consented to call a Consistory but died on Feb. 2, 1769.
See Augustin de Andres y Sobinas, . . . el nacimiento, estudios y empleos de . . . Clem. XIII. (Madrid, ; Ravignan's Clement XIII. et Clement XIV. (Paris, 1854) is partisan, but appends many interesting documents. See also the bibl. of Clement XIV. infra.; and that in Hergenrother, Allg. Kirchengesch. (188o) , iii. 509.