Editing Tamás Bakócz (section)

==Life==
Born in [[Szatmár County]], Bakócz was the son of a wagoner and was adopted by his uncle, who trained him for the priesthood and whom he succeeded as rector of [[Tetel|Tétel]] (1480). Through the generosity of his same brother Valentine, he was able to pursue a thorough course of studies first in the town of [[Satu Mare|Szatmár-Németi]], then in [[Kraków|Cracow]], Poland, and finally in the Italian cities of [[Ferrara]] and [[Padua]]. <ref>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02214a.htm Schaefer, Francis. "Thomas Bakócz." The Catholic Encyclopedia] Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 20 August 2023 {{PD-notice}}</ref>

He returned to his native country about the year 1470, with the doctor's degree. Bakócz was introduced to the king about the year 1474. Shortly afterwards he became one of the secretaries of [[King of Hungary|King]] [[Matthias Corvinus]], who made him bishop of [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Győr|Győr]] and a member of the royal council (1490). Under [[Vladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary]] (1490&ndash;1516) he became successively bishop of [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Eger|Eger]], the richest of the Hungarian sees, archbishop of [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Esztergom-Budapest|Esztergom]] (1497), cardinal (1500), and titular [[Latin Patriarch of Constantinople]] (1510).<ref name="EB1911">{{EB1911|inline=y|wstitle=Bakócz, Tamás, Cardinal|volume=3|last= Bain |first= Robert Nisbet |author-link= Robert Nisbet Bain |page=230|short=1}}</ref>
[[File:BakoczCimerFotoThalerTamas.jpg|thumb|The coat of arms of Tamás Bakócz|left|186x186px]]
From 1490 to his death in 1521 he was the leading statesman of Hungary and mainly responsible for foreign policy. It was solely through his efforts that Hungary did not accede to the [[War of the League of Cambrai|league of Cambrai]], was consistently friendly with [[Venice]], and formed a family compact with the [[Habsburgs]]. He was also the only [[Magyars|Magyar]] prelate who seriously aspired to the papal throne. In 1513, on the death of [[Pope Julius II|Julius II]], he went to [[Rome]] for the express purpose of bringing about his own election as pope. He was received with more than princely pomp, and all but succeeded in his design, thanks to his extraordinary adroitness and the command of an almost unlimited bribing-fund. But Venice and the emperor played him false, and he failed.<ref name="EB1911"/>

He returned to [[Hungary]] as [[papal legate]], bringing with him the [[Papal bull|bull]] of [[Pope Leo X|Leo X]] proclaiming a fresh [[crusade]] against the [[Ottoman Empire|Turks]]. But the crusade degenerated into a [[György Dózsa|jacquerie]] which ravaged the whole kingdom, and much discredited Bakócz. He lost some of his influence at first after the death of Wladislaus, but continued to be the guiding spirit at court, till age and infirmity confined him almost entirely to his house in the last three years of his life. He left a fortune of many millions.<ref name="EB1911"/>

He and his family are buried in a separate chapel of the [[Esztergom Basilica]], the most precious artwork of the Hungarian Renaissance.