Papal election Pope Alexander VIII died in 1691 and the
College of Cardinals assembled to hold a
conclave to select his successor. Factions loyal to the
Kingdom of France,
Spain and the broader
Holy Roman Empire failed to agree on a
consensus candidate. After five months, Cardinal Pignatelli emerged as a compromise candidate between the cardinals of France and those of the Holy Roman Empire, particularly after Cardinal
Gregorio Barbarigo was no longer considered a viable candidate for the papacy. Innocent XII also introduced various reforms into the States of the Church including the
Forum Innocentianum, designed to improve the administration of justice dispensed by the Church. In 1693 he compelled French bishops to retract the four propositions relating to the
Gallican Liberties which had been formulated by the assembly of 1682. In 1699, he decided in favour of
Jacques-Benigne Bossuet in that prelate's controversy with
Fénelon about the
Explication des Maximes des Saints sur la Vie Intérieure of the latter. Innocent XII's pontificate also differed greatly from his predecessors' because of his leanings towards France instead of the
Habsburg monarchy; the first in the 20 years following France's failure to have its candidate elected in
1644 and
1655.
Consistories Innocent XII created 30 cardinals in four consistories; two of those he elevated were those he reserved
in pectore.
Canonizations and beatifications Innocent XII canonized Saint
Zita of Lucca on 5 September 1696. He beatified
Augustin Kažotić on 17 July 1700 and approved the
cultus of
Angela of Foligno in 1693. He also beatified
Osanna Andreasi on 24 November 1694,
Mary de Cervellione on 13 February 1692,
Jane of Portugal on 31 December 1692,
Umiliana de' Cerchi on 24 July 1694,
Helen Enselmini on 29 October 1695, and
Delphine of Glandèves in 1694.
Death Innocent XII was already considerably ill on 25 December 1699 with
gout (a rheumatic disease) and was therefore unable to attend the solemn opening of the Holy Door at
Saint Peter's Basilica to mark the beginning of the
Jubilee for 1700, hence, Cardinal
Emmanuel-Théodose de La Tour d'Auvergne represented the pontiff in the solemn celebration. On
Easter Sunday in 1700, the seriously ill pontiff gave a blessing from his balcony to the large crowds outside of the
Quirinal Palace. Despite his illness, he named three new cardinals in June 1700. Innocent died on 27 September 1700 and was succeeded in the
next conclave by
Pope Clement XI (1700–21). His tomb in Saint Peter's Basilica was sculpted by
Filippo della Valle. Innocent is the most recent pope to not be clean shaven. ==In fiction==