Pope clement v biography of william

Though many asked him to come to Rome for his coronation, he decided to stay in France and have his coronation in Lyon. Best known for the decree he issued against the Knights Templar, Pope Clement V created a document that allowed the prosecution of those men. That prosecution led to rumors of sodomy and other illegal acts that some still believe today.

Clement V remained in France during his reign and became the first of the Popes of Avignon. Clement V reigned as pope from to He was the first pope of the "Babylonian Captivity," when the papacy was located in Avignon, France. He became archbishop of Bordeaux in His election to the papacy in followed the pontificate of Boniface VIII and the brief rule of Benedict XIduring which a long quarrel between France and the papacy culminated in Boniface's capture and mistreatment by henchmen of the French king, Philip IV, at Anagni, Italy, in France had humiliated the papacy, and the cardinals chose de Got as a compromise candidate who had neither opposed Boniface nor displeased Philip.

At Philip's request Clement was crowned at Lyons; there he suffered a fall from his horse which may have affected his health permanently, for chronic illness contributed to his submission to French demands. Clement V took important financial and political actions as pope. He introduced the annates, a lucrative papal tax, and thus refilled the papal treasury; but he spent the money unwisely, much of it on his relatives and on loans to France and England.

He created 24 popes clement v biography of william, of whom 23 were French and Gascon, thus producing a French majority. He was condemned for his nepotism, accused of simony, and disliked for his luxurious style of living. But he was also a scholarly man, and he ordered the study of the Hebrew, Syriac, and Arabic languages at the universities of Paris, Bologna, Oxford, and Salamanca.

He added to canon law the sixth book of the Decretals, named "Clementines" after him. Clement's reputation today is predominately unfavorable because of his submission to French domination and his role in creating the Avignon papacy. But much evidence suggests that his intentions were good. It was always his wish to return the papacy to Rome, but poor health and fear of "another Anagni" made him unable to resist Philip IV.

Pontificate: June 5,to April 20, ; b. Bertrand de Got, in Villandraut Gironde in the midth century; d. Roquemaure Gard. Clement V had a successful ecclesiastical career up to his accession to the papacy. After a protracted conclave, in Perugia, he was elected pope by a majority of 10 of the 15 votes. The cardinals' difficulties in reaching a consensus eventually facilitated his election, since the former archbishop of Bordeaux had developed good relations with both Pope boniface viii and King philip iv of france.

Besides, many cardinals knew Bertrand well from his services in the papal curia. His candidacy was supported by Philip IV, a fact that inflamed rumors about French interference in the conclave and the pope's compliance with French interests. The pro-French bias that is usually attributed to Clement V stems, to some degree, from his family roots in Gascony.

Such an assumption, the origins of which go back to the 14th century, overlooks the fact that Gascony was dependent on England and that the former archbishop of Bordeaux was the senior prelate in the continental domain of Edward I. Indeed, analysis of Clement's pontificate clearly evinces his strong support of the kings of England, both in their internal crises and in their belligerent policy in Scotland.

This course eventually placed the pope at odds with most barons and prelates of England and impaired his ability to arbitrate in Christendom. Clement's policy in France, as well, offers a rather complex picture: the pope may have given vociferous support to Philip IV, but he implemented an independent policy based on his own scale of priorities. In the most crucial events of Philip's reign, such as the trials of the templars and Pope Boniface, Clement succeeded in sabotaging the original plans of Philip IV, while protecting papal aims.

Given the circumstances dictated by the king of France in the Templars affair, Clement perceived the abolition of the order by apostolic decision to be the only way to protect ecclesiastical immunity. Yet, both the avoidance of a clear verdict on the guilt of the order and the transfer of Templar wealth to the Hospital clearly contradicted the French king's original expectations.

In a clear do ut des, Clement succeeded in protecting the memory of Boniface and voiding the charges of heresy brought against him. Yet, he exonerated Philip of the outrage at Anagni and conditionally absolved its main protagonist, Guillaume de Nogaret The canonization of celestine v — Boniface's predecessor, who had resigned the papacy and whose mysterious death was also charged to Boniface's account — reflects yet another papal concession to Capetian demands.

By trying to navigate a middle course between papal and royal interests, Clement prevented an open conflict. Clement V and the Knights Templar [ edit ]. Crusades and relations with the Mongols [ edit ]. See also: Franco-Mongol alliance. Relations with Rome [ edit ]. Later career and death [ edit ]. In popular culture [ edit ]. See also [ edit ].

Pope clement v biography of william

Notes [ edit ]. References [ edit ]. In Herbermann, Charles ed. Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Shaw and Timothy J. Demy eds. Digital Spy. Retrieved 20 January Monsters and Critics. Sources [ edit ]. Further reading [ edit ]. External links [ edit ]. Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pope Clement V. Wikisource has original works by or about: Clement V.

Benedict XI.