GREGORY X, Pope. - Tedaldo Visconti, b. in Piacenza ca. 1210; he became a canon and professor in his native city; having entered the service of Card. Pecorara, a famous diplomat of the time, he acquired experience and made acquaintances; he resided in Paris while St. Thomas and St. Bonaventure were teaching there, was appointed archdeacon of the diocese of Liège, and papal legate in England. He went to the East with an expedition that failed because of the death of Louis IX. On the death of Clement IV the Sacred College, assembled in Conclave at Viterbo, was divided by bitter dissensions and, reaching no conclusion, ended by appointing a commission with the power to decide and, perhaps on the advice of St. Bonaventure, Tedaldo was chosen, who was neither cardinal nor priest and was still in the Holy Land (1st Sept. 1271). On his return he was crowned (23 March 1272) and took the name of G. X.
G. X. carried on a notable activity, having as his aim the pacification of minds and of nations: he went personally to many Italian cities to reconcile the Guelph and Ghibelline factions, but with little fruit; he imposed on the imperial electors the choice of a title-holder to put an end to the great interregnum (the modest feudatory Rudolf of Habsburg succeeded, on the suggestion of the same Pope, and this too was a move intended to counterbalance French and Angevin encroachment); he was tolerant toward the Jews, took much interest in Marco Polo's journey to the East, received benevolently the ambassadors of the Tatar and Mongol princes, instituted the Apostolic Almonry and laid down new rules for the Conclave.
In 1274 he celebrated the Council of Lyon (v.) at which he achieved union with the Greek Church, which however lasted a short time. On the return journey from Lyon to Rome G. X met Rudolf of Habsburg at Lausanne and came to an understanding with him for the coronation and an expedition to the East, but before reaching his see he died at Arezzo on 10 Jan. 1276; he was buried in the Cathedral and in the 18th century the title of blessed was recognized for him. The program of his pontificate denotes great zeal and an uncommon political capacity.
Bibliography6 works
Paolo Brezzi