View source for Pius IV, Pope of the Roman Catholic Church (1499-1565)

<span>Pius IV, [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] pope from 1560 to 1565, successor of Paul IV, is said to have been a lenient ruler, but less merciful to "heretics." In 1564 he complained to Marco Soranza, the emissary of the republic of Venice, concerning the lax attitude toward heretics; in consequence the two imprisoned "[[Anabaptism|Anabaptists]]" Sega and Rizzetto were sentenced to die by drowning on 8 February 1565. The sentence stated that this mode of execution rather than the usual one of burning was passed "for definite reasons on the strength of a special authorization granted this tribunal by the Holy See." The drowning was performed at night to keep it quiet.</span>
= Bibliography =
<span>Benrath, K. "Geschichte der Reformation in Venedig." <em>Schriften des Vereins f<span><span>ü</span></span>r Ref.-Geschichte </em>V No. 18: 99, 101. </span>

<span>Benrath, K. "Wiedert<span><span>ä</span></span>ufer im Venezianischen." <em>Theol. Studien und Kritiken </em>(1885): 9-67. </span>

<span>Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. </span><em><span>Mennonitisches Lexikon</span></em><span>. Frankfurt &amp; Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe; Schneider, 1913-1967:</span><span> III, 376.</span>
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