Editing Pope Innocent X (section)

===Wars of the Three Kingdoms===
During the [[Irish Confederate Wars]] (1641–53) (the [[Kingdom of Ireland|Irish]] component of the [[Wars of the Three Kingdoms]]), Innocent X strongly supported the independent [[Confederate Ireland]], over the objections of Mazarin and the English Queen and then [[queen mother]], [[Henrietta Maria]], exiled in Paris.  The pope sent [[Giovanni Battista Rinuccini]], [[archbishop of Fermo]], as a special nuncio to Ireland. He arrived at [[Kilkenny]] with a large quantity of arms including 20,000 pounds of gunpowder, and a very large sum of money.<ref>"con somme cospicue di pecunia ed altre munizioni", G. Alazzi, ''Nunciatura in Irlanda di Monsignor Gio. Batista<!--Batista in original--> Rinuccini'' (Florence) 1844, preface (p. vi) to the publication of Rinucci's official letters: see [[Giovanni Battista Rinuccini]].</ref> Rinuccini hoped he could discourage the Confederates from allying with Charles I and the Royalists in the [[English Civil War]] and instead encourage them towards the foundation of an independent Catholic – ruled Ireland.

At Kilkenny, Rinuccini was received with great honours, asserting in his Latin declaration that the object of his mission was to sustain the king but, above all, to rescue from pains and penalties the Catholic people of Ireland in securing the free and public exercise of the Catholic religion, and the restoration of the churches and church property. In the end, [[Oliver Cromwell]] restored Ireland to the Parliamentarian side and Rinuccini returned to Rome in 1649, after four fruitless years.