What they wanted, most of them, was a pope who would put an end to the turmoil of Paul II’s last years.Della Rovere seemed a perfect choice: a man unlikely to stir up trouble and likely to do good instead. A native of Liguria, the tiny province that is now the Italian Riviera but five centuries ago was a place of little consequence, in his fifty-seven years he had risen high from extraordinarily humble beginnings, managing while doing so to give offense to virtually no one. He was the son of a poor fisherman and at an early age had entered the Franciscan order of mendicant or begging friars—hardly a promising path to the highest levels of the Church. He proved to be academically gifted, however, and emerged from years of study and deep poverty as a professor of theology and philosophy, a respected author, and one of the leading members of his order. His promotion to cardinal was characteristic of what was best about Paul II. It was done not for any political purpose, or as compensation for any favors rendered, but in recognition of merit.His election as pope came about in the same way.
