The word
nepotism is from the Latin word
nepos, meaning "nephew" or "grandchild" and is used to mean the granting of favours or privileges to relatives or friends, regardless of merit. During the Middle Ages, popes used to provide for their illegitimate children by describing them as "nephews" and ensuring that they were given key positions within the church.
The practice ended in 1692, when Pope Innocent XII issued the bull
Romanum decet Pontificem, prohibiting popes from bestowing estates, offices, or revenues on any relative, with the exception that one qualified relative (at most) could be made a Cardinal.