Editing Pope Alexander VII (section)

== Ecclesial activities ==
===Consistories===
{{Main|Cardinals created by Alexander VII}}

Alexander VII created 38 cardinals in six consistories which included [[Flavio Chigi (1631–1693)|Flavio Chigi]], his nephew in the role of [[Cardinal-Nephew]], while naming Giulio Rospigliosi as a cardinal and whom would eventually succeed him as [[Pope Clement IX]]. Out of all the cardinals whom he had named, the pope had reserved five of those names ''[[in pectore]]'' and announced them at later dates.

===Religious orders===
Alexander VII reformed the Constitution for the [[Cistercians]] in the [[papal brief]] ''In suprema'' on 19 April 1666 which effectively ended a dispute that had lasted for decades on the question of reform which had long since divided the Cistercians. The pope also played a role in changes made to the [[Barnabites]] and the [[Piarists]] (1656). In 1666, he formally approved the [[Congregation of Jesus and Mary]] which had been founded by Saint [[John Eudes]] while in 1655 he had given his approval to the [[Congregation of the Mission]] which had been founded by Saint [[Vincent de Paul]].

===Liturgical actions===
In 1661, the pope forbade the translation of the [[Roman Missal]] into [[French language|French]] which had been published in 1660 by the priest Joseph de Voisin. With the French episcopacy condemning the bilingual Missal in late 1660, the pontiff ratified this in a papal bull on 12 January 1661.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sicutincensum.wordpress.com/2018/02/07/lay-hand-missals-damnata-reprobata-et-interdicta/|title=Lay Hand-Missals: "Damnata, reprobata et interdicta"
|publisher=|author=Notkerus Balbulus|date=7 February 2018|accessdate=13 December 2022}}</ref> In 1656, he revoked the decree of Innocent X and allowed the [[Chinese Rites controversy|Chinese rites]] to be used by the Jesuit missionaries in China. Alexander VII expanded upon this in 1659 when he dispensed the Chinese clergy from having to pray the Divine Office in Latin.<ref name=EC/>

===Canonizations and beatifications===
Throughout his pontificate, Alexander VII beatified two individuals ([[Francis de Sales]] and [[Pedro de Arbués]]) and canonized five others which included [[Ferdinand III of Castile|Ferdinand III]] and [[Felix of Valois|Félix de Valois]] amongst others.

===Eastern Churches===
In 1661, the pope assured the [[Patriarch of Babylon|Patriarch]] of the [[Chaldean Catholic Church]], [[Shimun XII Yoalaha]], that the [[Latin Church]] episcopacy would support those of the Chaldean Church. During his papacy, the pope also dispatched a mission consisting of [[Carmelite]] friars to [[Syria]] in order to evangelize and spread the faith in the [[Middle East]]. The pope also created the [[Syriac Catholic Archeparchy of Aleppo|Archdiocese of Aleppo]] in 1659.<ref>{{cite web |title=Alep [Beroea, Halab] (Syrian Archeparchy) [Catholic-Hierarchy] |url=https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dalps.html |website=www.catholic-hierarchy.org |access-date=27 June 2024}}</ref>