His family name was Nicholas Bocasini. He was a native of Treviso,
which city was then an independent commonwealth, but since the year
1336 is subject to that of Venice. He was born in 1240, and studied
first at Treviso, and afterwards at Venice, where, at fourteen years
of age, he took the habit of St. Dominick. He seemed desirous to
set no bounds to his fervor and fidelity in the practice of every
means of improving his soul daily in virtue: and, during fourteen
years, enriched his mind with an uncommon store of sacred learning.
After this term he was appointed professor and preacher at Venice
and Bologna, and with incredible fruit communicated to others
those spiritual riches which he had treasured up in silence and
retirement, being always careful by the same means to preserve and
increase his own stock. He wrote several sermons and comments on the
holy scripture, which are still extant. He was chosen provincial
of Lombardy, and, in 1296, the ninth general of his Order. On that
occasion, by a pathetic circular letter,[66] he exhorted his brethren
to a love of poverty, humility, retirement, prayer, charity, and
obedience. In 1297 he was sent by Boniface VIII. nuncio into France,
to be the mediator of peace between that nation and the English; and
was created cardinal during his residence there in 1298. Nothing
but the strict command of his Holiness could have obliged him to
accept that dignity, which cost him many tears. He was made soon
after bishop of Ostia, and dean of the sacred college; and in 1301
went legate _a latere_ into Hungary, to endeavor to compose the
differences which divided that nation into factions, and had already
laid it waste by a dreadful civil war; in which cardinal Boncasini
succeeded to a miracle. He also abolished in that country several
superstitious practices, and other abuses and scandals. He afterward
exerted his zeal in Austria and at Venice, being successively legate
in both those places.
Boniface VIII. dying on the 11th of October, 1303, the cardinals
entered the conclave on the 21st of the same month, and on the
day following unanimously chose our saint pope. He was seized
with trembling at the news; but being compelled to acquiesce, was
crowned on the following Sunday. He continued his former practices
of humility, mortification, and penance. When his mother came to
his court in rich attire, he refused to see her till she had put on
again her former mean apparel. Rome was at that time torn by civil
divisions, especially by the factions of the Colonnas against the
late pope, but the moderation, meekness, and prudence of our saint
soon restored the whole country to perfect tranquillity. He pardoned
the Colonnas and other rebels, Sciarra Colonna and William of Nogaret
excepted, who remained under the former sentence of proscription.
He pacified Denmark, and other kingdoms of the North, and appeased
the State and Church of France. He reconciled the cities of Venice
and Padua without effusion of blood. He joined his zealous endeavors
with Helena, queen of Servia, in the conversion of her son Orosius.
This good pope died the martyr of peace, to make which reign over
the whole Christian world he seemed only to have lived. Having sat
only eight months and seventeen days, he departed this life at
Perugia, on the 6th of July, in the year of our Lord, 1304, of his
age sixty-three. Some say he died of poison secretly given him by
the contrivance of certain wicked men who were enemies to the public
tranquillity. He was honored by miracles, examined and approved by
the bishop of Perugia, and attested by Platina and other historians.
See Conc. t. 10, also his life collected by Pagi, in his Annals, and
in an express work by the late learned Dominican, F. Peter Thomas
Campana; and Vie de S. Benoit XI. ou Caractère de la Sainteté du B.
Benoit XI. à Toulouse, 1739. See also F. Touron, Hommes Illustres, t.
1, l. 7, p. 655, and Benedict XIV. de Canoniz, t. 4, Append. and in
his new Roman Martyrology on the 7th of July.