The Dutch pope fell ill not long after his appointment. The rumor mill then spread the theory that Adrianus had been poisoned. “At that time, that happened regularly with prominent people. But in the biography of Adrianus, written by Twan Geurts, this is excluded. Jaap van Dissel, who also specializes in investigating causes of death of people who have died a long time ago, concluded that it is unlikely that he was poisoned. “He probably contracted a kidney infection,” says Jongeneelen.
Start Adrianus year to honor only Dutch pope: ‘He was very progressive’
