Editing Pope Innocent XII (section)

===Actions===
Immediately after his election on 12 July 1691, Innocent XII declared his opposition to the [[nepotism]] which had afflicted the reigns of previous popes. The following year he issued the [[papal bull]], ''[[Romanum decet Pontificem]]'', banning the [[curia]]l office of the [[Cardinal-Nephew]] and prohibiting popes from bestowing [[Estate (land)|estates]], offices, or [[revenue]]s on any relative. Further, only one relative (and only "if otherwise suitable") was to be raised to the cardinalate.<ref name=Ott/>

At the same time he sought to check the [[simony]] in the practices of the [[Apostolic Chamber]] and to that end introduced a simpler and more economical manner of life into his court. Innocent XII said that "the poor were his nephews" and compared his public beneficence to the nepotism of many predecessors.

That same year he invited [[Marcello Malpighi]] to Rome to serve as his personal physician and offered him the position of Professor of Medicine at the [[Sapienza University of Rome]]. Malpighi introduced his Roman colleagues to the use of the [[microscope]].<ref>{{cite journal| url = https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(16)31210-7/fulltext| title = Riva, Michele Augusto et al. "The first recorded use of microscopy in medicine: Pope Innocent XII's autopsy report", ''The Lancet'', August 6, 2016| journal = The Lancet| date = August 2016| volume = 388| issue = 10044| page = 559| doi = 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31210-7| last1 = Riva| first1 = Michele Augusto| last2 = Borghi| first2 = Luca| last3 = Pagni| first3 = Fabio| pmid = 27511777| hdl = 10281/128960| hdl-access = free}}</ref>  

Innocent XII also introduced various reforms into the States of the Church including the ''Forum Innocentianum'', designed to improve the administration of justice dispensed by the Church. In 1693 he compelled French bishops to retract the four propositions relating to the [[Gallican Liberties]] which had been formulated by the assembly of 1682.

In 1699, he decided in favour of [[Jacques-Benigne Bossuet]] in that prelate's controversy with [[Fénelon]] about the ''Explication des Maximes des Saints sur la Vie Intérieure'' of the latter. Innocent XII's pontificate also differed greatly from his predecessors' because of his leanings towards France instead of the [[Habsburg monarchy]]; the first in the 20 years following France's failure to have its candidate elected in [[papal conclave, 1644|1644]] and [[papal conclave, 1655|1655]].

====Consistories====
{{main|Cardinals created by Innocent XII}}
Innocent XII created 30 cardinals in four consistories; two of those he elevated were those he reserved ''[[in pectore]]''.

====Canonizations and beatifications====
Innocent XII canonized Saint [[Zita of Lucca]] on 5 September 1696. He beatified [[Augustin Kažotić]] on 17 July 1700 and approved the [[cult (religious practice)|cultus]] of [[Angela of Foligno]] in 1693. He also beatified [[Osanna Andreasi]] on 24 November 1694, [[Mary de Cervellione]] on 13 February 1692, [[Joanna, Princess of Portugal|Jane of Portugal]] on 31 December 1692, [[Umiliana de' Cerchi]] on 24 July 1694, [[Helen Enselmini]] on 29 October 1695, and [[Delphine of Glandèves]] in 1694.