From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia He was born at
Modena in 1477, the son of a noted jurist, he acquired
reputation as a neo-Latin poet, his best-known piece being one
on the group of Laocoön. In Rome, he obtained the patronage of
Cardinal Carafa and adopted the ecclesiastical career. Pope Leo
X chose him as his secretary along with Pietro Bembo, and in
1517 made him bishop of Carpentras. A faithful servant of the
papacy in many negotiations under successive popes, especially
as a peacemaker, his major aim was to win back the Protestants
by peaceful persuasion and by putting Catholic doctrine in a
conciliatory form. Sadoleto was a diligent bishop, made cardinal
in 1536, given the titular church of San Callisto. In 1539
Cardinal Sadoleto wrote to the people of Geneva, urging them to
return to the Catholic faith. John Calvin had been asked to
leave Geneva the previous year, and was living in Strasbourg,
but the Genevans still asked Calvin to write a response to
Sadoleto, which he did. - Pericaud, Fra