Roman Catholic Pope. Born Benedetto Odescalchi in Como, Italy, he was educated by the Jesuits and studied law before entering the Curia under Pope Urban VIII. His career saw him as president of the Apostolic Camera, commissary at Ancona, administrator of Marcerata, and Governor of Picena. After the death of Urban, Innocent X made him Cardinal-Deacon of Santi Cosma in 1645, and, and then Cardinal-Priest of Sant' Onofrio. In 1650, he was made Bishop of Novara. He was elected pope unanimously in September 1676, and took the name Innocent XI. One of his first efforts was toward reducing the expense of the Curia, passing strict ordinances against nepotism, introduced economy, abolished sinecures, closed gaming houses, and issued several sumptuary laws. In 1682, the French king's Assembly of the French Clergy adopted the "Déclaration du clergé français." The pope immediately annulled the four articles, and refused his approval to all episcopal candidates who had taken part in the assembly. In 1685, Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes to which Innocent voiced his displeasure, and then followed with the abolition of the long abused "right of asylum" in 1685, Louis responded by seizing the papal territory of Avignon. In 1688, he opposed Louis's candidate for the electorate of Cologne. He also opposed the manner in which James II attempted to restore Catholicism in England, and for his support of Louis in his measures considered hostile to the church, and was apparently unsympathetic upon his fall. His main political concern, however, was the relief of Austria and Hungary then under attack by the Turks, and was responsible for the contribution of millions toward the war fund and for the motivation of Christian princes toward the expulsion of the Turks. After his death at age 78, he was buried under the altar of San Sebastiano in Saint Peter’s Basilica. In an era of frequent papal corruption, his integrity has always been considered unquestioned. He was beatified by Pope Pius XII on October 7, 1956. In 2011, his remains were moved to the basilica’s Altar of the Transfiguration.