Pope Marcellus II

Pope Marcellus II
Bishop of Rome
Portrait by an anonymous artist, 16th-century, Vatican Museums
Church	Catholic Church
Papacy began	9 April 1555
Papacy ended	1 May 1555
Predecessor	Julius III
Successor	Paul IV
Orders
Ordination	1535
Consecration	10 April 1555 by Gian Pietro Carafa
Created cardinal	19 December 1539 by Paul III
Personal details
Born	Marcello Cervini degli Spannocchi 6 May 1501 Montefano, Marche, Papal States
Died	1 May 1555(1555-05-01) (aged 53) Rome, Papal States
Previous post(s)	Administrator of Nicastro (1539–1540) Bishop of Reggio Emilia (1540–1544) Cardinal-Priest of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme (1540–1555) Bishop of Gubbio (1544–1555) Chief of the Vatican Library (1550–1555)
Coat of arms
Other popes named Marcellus

Papal styles of Pope Marcellus II
Reference style	His Holiness
Spoken style	Your Holiness
Religious style	Holy Father
Posthumous style	None

Pope Marcellus II (Italian: Marcello II; 6 May 1501 – 1 May 1555), born Marcello Cervini degli Spannocchi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 10 April 1555 to his death, 22 days later.

He succeeded Pope Julius III. Before his accession as pope he had been Cardinal-Priest of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme. He is the most recent pope to choose to retain his birth name as his regnal name upon his accession, and the most recent pope to date with the regnal name "Marcellus".

Cervini was the maternal uncle of Robert Bellarmine. His father, Ricardo Cervini, and Pope Clement VII were personal friends. Cervini served in the household of Cardinal Alessandro Farnese. When Farnese became Pope Paul III, Cervini served as his secretary and was employed on a number of diplomatic missions. On 10 April, 1555, he was elected to succeed Pope Julius III. He died of a stroke twenty-two days later.