Roman Catholic Pope. The Barberini were a powerful family. He began his reign by issuing on the very day of his election the Bulls of canonization of Philip Neri, Ignatius Loyola, and Francis Xavier, who had been canonized by Gregory XV. He canonized Elizabeth of Portugal, 25 May 1625; and Andrew Corsini, 22 April 1629. During his long papacy, Urban VIII promoted missionary work. He formed dioceses and vicariates in various missionary territories and founded a college for the training of missionaries. In 1639 he prohibited slavery among the Indians of Brazil, Paraguay, and the West Indies. During this period the temporal power of the papacy was in the greatest danger from the Habsburg dynasty which ruled much of the German-speaking region of Europe, the Southern Netherlands, and Spain. Spanish influence in Italy had been on the rise for a century, and the kingdom of Naples and Sicily, under Spanish rule, lay immediately to the South of the Papal State. For this reason, Urban VIII favored the anti-Habsburg policy of the French, neglecting to support the catholic cause in Germany.

Roman Catholic Pope. The Barberini were a powerful family. He began his reign by issuing on the very day of his election the Bulls of canonization of Philip Neri, Ignatius Loyola, and Francis Xavier, who had been canonized by Gregory XV. He canonized Elizabeth of Portugal, 25 May 1625; and Andrew Corsini, 22 April 1629. During his long papacy, Urban VIII promoted missionary work. He formed dioceses and vicariates in various missionary territories and founded a college for the training of missionaries. In 1639 he prohibited slavery among the Indians of Brazil, Paraguay, and the West Indies. During this period the temporal power of the papacy was in the greatest danger from the Habsburg dynasty which ruled much of the German-speaking region of Europe, the Southern Netherlands, and Spain. Spanish influence in Italy had been on the rise for a century, and the kingdom of Naples and Sicily, under Spanish rule, lay immediately to the South of the Papal State. For this reason, Urban VIII favored the anti-Habsburg policy of the French, neglecting to support the catholic cause in Germany.

Bio by: MC