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How did Alessandro Farnese change his private life after becoming bishop of Parma?
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Paul III
Paul III, contemporary medallion; in the coin collection of the Vatican Library.
After being invested with the bishopric of Parma in 1509, Alessandro Farneseāthe future Pope Paul IIIābegan to take his ecclesiastical obligations more seriously. To align his personal conduct with his role as a church leader, he made significant changes to his private life:
- Ending his liaison: In 1513, he discontinued the relationship with his Roman mistress, with whom he had previously fathered four children.1
- Religious commitment: Following this change, he was ordained as a priest in June 1519 and celebrated his first mass that Christmas.1
- Reform efforts: He actively implemented reform decrees from the Fifth Lateran Council within his diocese, conducting a visitation in 1516 and holding a synod in 1519.1
Following these transitions, his private life was considered to be without reproach, and he became closely identified with the reform movement within the Roman Curia.1