In fact, with all his squirming, Paul III only sank deeper into the Spanish vassalage, while the championship of the church passed from his control into that of new agencies that he had created.
[Sidenote: Julius III, 1550-55] It was perhaps an effort to free the Holy See from the Spanish yoke that led the cardinals to raise to the purple, as Julius III, Cardinal John Mary Ciocchi del Monte who as one of the presidents of the oecumenical council had distinguished himself by his opposition to {384} the emperor.

Nevertheless his pontificate marked a relaxation of the church's effort, for policy or strength to pursue reform he had none.
[Sidenote: Marcellus II, April 9-May 1, 1555] Marcellus II, who was pope for twenty-two days, would hardly be remembered save for the noble Mass of Pope Marcellus dedicated to him by Palestrina.
With the elevation of Cardinal Caraffa to the tiara Peter's keys [Sidenote: Paul IV, 1555-9] were once more restored to strong hands and a reforming heart.

The founder of the Theatines was a hot-blooded Neapolitan still, in spite of his seventy-nine years, hale and hearty.
Among the reforms he accomplished were some regulations relating to the residence of bishops and some rules for the bridling of Jews, usurers, prostitutes, players and mountebanks.

But he was unable to reform himself.

He advanced his young kinsmen shamelessly to political office.