Calvin, Pope John

From Srafopedia

The last Pope. He moved the seat of the Papacy to Geneva and set up the Consistorial Court of Discipline, establishing the absolute authority of the Church. The papal office was dissolved after his death; under his lead, “the Church’s power over every aspect of life had been absolute.” [The Golden Compass/Northern Lights, Chapter 2.]

In the real world, John Calvin (1509-1564) was a French theologian and an influential figure during the Protestant Reformation (which in Lyra's world, never seemed to have happened). He broke from the Catholic church and founded the branch of Protestianism known as "Calvinism" centered around Geneva. The Calvinist doctrine is based on the belief of the total sinful nature of man, predestination and the presence of God over all areas of life.