Avignon Papacy

Long ago, popes lived in a new place.

They did not live in Rome. They stayed in a place called Avignon. This lasted for 67 years.

Seven popes lived there. They were all from France. This happened because of a fight with a king. The popes moved to find a safe place. They lived like rich princes in their big palace.

Later, one pope moved back to Rome. This changed everything for the church.

For 67 years, the popes lived in Avignon.

This time was from 1309 to 1376. Usually, popes lived in Rome. But a fight broke out between the church and the King of France. King Philip IV wanted church money for his wars. This led to a sad event. Agents of the king attacked Pope Boniface VIII. The pope died shortly after. After some more deaths, Pope Clement V was chosen. He was a friend of the French king. He moved the papal court to Avignon.

All seven popes in Avignon were French. They lived like rich princes in big palaces.

They used gold and silver at their feasts. This made some people angry. They thought the church should be poor. In 1376, Pope Gregory XI moved back to Rome.

This move caused a big split in the church. This split was called the Western Schism. It lasted until 1417. Then, a new pope was chosen by everyone.

From 1309 to 1376, the leaders of the Catholic Church lived in Avignon.

This period is known as the Avignon Papacy. Usually, the popes lived in Rome, which is in Italy. However, a major conflict arose between the papacy and the French crown. King Philip IV of France wanted to use church money to pay for his wars. This struggle became very serious when agents of the king attacked Pope Boniface VIII. The pope died shortly after this event. Because of this tension, the church looked for a safer place to stay.

After Pope Benedict XI died, the church held a meeting to choose a new leader.

King Philip pressured the group to elect Clement V in 1305. Clement V was the archbishop of Bordeaux and a friend of the king. He did not move to Rome like the popes before him. Instead, he moved his court to Avignon in 1309. Avignon was part of the Kingdom of Arles at that time. This area was within the Holy Roman Empire but was under French influence. The popes stayed in Avignon for 67 years. Some people called this time the "Babylonian captivity" of the papacy.

During these years, seven successive popes lived in Avignon.

All seven of these popes were French. They often lived like wealthy princes rather than simple religious leaders. They used gold and silver plates at their many banquets. Some popes, like John XXII, Benedict XII, and Clement VI, spent large fortunes on expensive clothes.

The church also changed how it managed its money and rules. They began to centralize their administration to control more wealth. This included collecting tithes, which were taxes on church property. They also collected money from special taxes for crusades that never actually happened.

This new way of living caused many problems for the church. Many people felt the leaders were too focused on riches. They believed the church should follow the path of poverty. Some groups, like the Hussites in Bohemia, were even called heretical for their ideas. Some thinkers, like William of Ockham, also criticized the papacy. In fact, Pope John XXII excommunicated these philosophers after they spoke out.

The tension between the church's spiritual role and its worldly power grew very strong. This made the papacy a very political institution during the Middle Ages.

In 1376, Pope Gregory XI decided to end the stay in Avignon.

He moved the court back to Rome in January 1377. However, his death in 1378 led to a new crisis. A group of cardinals disagreed with the new pope, Urban VI. This disagreement started the Western Schism, which was a long split in the church. For many years, there were rival claimants to the title of pope. This controversy finally ended in 1417 at the Council of Constance. There, the election of Pope Martin V was accepted by everyone.

The Avignon Papacy was a significant period in Catholic history. It lasted from 1309 to 1376. During these years, seven successive popes lived in Avignon.

At that time, Avignon was within the Kingdom of Arles. This area was part of the Holy Roman Empire. Today, however, this region is part of France. This era is famous because the popes did not live in Rome. Some historians call this period the "Babylonian captivity" of the papacy. This name suggests the church was held away from its rightful home.

The shift to Avignon resulted from intense political conflict. The papacy and the French crown were in a major dispute. This struggle involved both spiritual and secular power. King Philip IV of France wanted church finances to fund his wars. Pope Boniface VIII resisted this pressure. He issued a decree called *Unam sanctam* in November 1302. This document claimed every human must be subject to the Roman pontiff. King Philip responded by asserting his own independence. In 1303, Italian allies of the king attacked the pope. They broke into his residence and maltreated him. Pope Boniface VIII died shortly after this assault.

A new series of popes followed this period of unrest. Pope Benedict XI succeeded Boniface VIII but died within eight months. In 1305, the church elected Clement V.

Clement V was the archbishop of Bordeaux and a friend of King Philip. He refused to move to Rome. In 1309, he moved the papal court to Avignon. This move was partly to escape the infighting of Roman families. These families, such as the Colonna and Orsini, often fought for influence. Avignon offered a safer location within the papal enclave of Comtat Venaissin.

All seven popes during the Avignon period were French. This led to heavy influence from the French Crown. The popes lived in a way that resembled royal courts.

They adopted many features of secular rulers. For example, cardinals lived like princes rather than simple clerics. Many cardinals were even relatives of the reigning pope. Popes like John XXII, Benedict XII, and Clement VI lived in great splendor.

They spent large fortunes on expensive wardrobes. They also used gold and silver plates for banquets.

This lifestyle often contrasted with the expected poverty of the clergy.

The papacy also underwent a major administrative reorganization. Under Clement V and John XXII, the church centralized its control. The papacy began to directly manage the appointment of benefices. This allowed the church to control significant income. They collected tithes, which were ten-percent taxes on church property. They also collected annates, the first year's income from a new position. Other sources included taxes for crusades that never occurred. This centralization made the church a powerful political and financial institution.

This wealth and power created deep divisions. Many people believed the church should return to absolute poverty. They felt the leaders were too focused on worldly riches. Some groups, such as the Waldensians or the Hussites, were declared heretical.

Even famous philosophers were caught in these disputes. Pope John XXII excommunicated Marsilius of Padua and William of Ockham. Ockham responded by charging the pope with seventy errors. This era showed how religious leadership was deeply tied to secular politics. The tension between spiritual duties and worldly administration grew constantly.

The Avignon period ended when Gregory XI returned to Rome.

He arrived in Rome in January 1377. However, his death in 1378 caused a new crisis. A disagreement between cardinals and Pope Urban VI led to the Western Schism. This was a period where rival claimants fought for the papacy. One line of popes remained in Avignon and were called antipopes. This controversy lasted until 1417. The Council of Constance finally resolved the issue. They accepted the election of Pope Martin V, which ended the schism.