Blessed Benedict XI (1303-1304) 196th Pope
He became a Dominican
He was respected for his holiness
Clement V (1305-1314) 197th Pope
The papal tiara was lost
He settled in Avignon, beginning the “Babylonian captivity” of the papacy. This region would be known for it vineyards (wine)
A council pronounced a decree on baptism
He codified canon law
He founded the University of Oxford
John XXII (1316-1334) 198th Pope
He repeated papal declarations that during such vacancies, imperial appointments rested with the pope
He reconstructed the financial affairs of the Church
He had a habit of privately teaching erroneous opinions
He instituted the feast of the Most Holy Trinity
The emperor appointed an anti-pope Nicholas V
Benedict XII (1334-1342) 199th Pope
He immediately funded the restoration of St. Peter’s and St. John Lateran
He put to an end to many of the financial abuses whereby church bureaucrats had found ways of extracting money
He used the stick of the Inquisition and gentle persuasion to combat heresy
He required bishops to live in their dioceses
Clement VI (1342-1352) 200th Pope
He was completely devoted to the interests of France
He took the name of Clement in honor of the pontiff who had removed the papacy to France
The Canary Island would be Europe’s first colonial effort
He worked for the poor
The Black Plague hit Avignon in 1348-1349
He visited the highly contagious sick
Many superstitious blamed the Jews of being plague carriers
He protected the Jews
Innocent VI (1352-1362) 201st Pope
He ordered all non-resident clerics back to their dioceses and parishes
He ended all luxury at the Papal Court
He restored a great deal of papal prestige
He fostered arts and culture
Blessed Urban V (1362-1370) 202nd Pope
He was a Benedictine
He was known for his holiness and dedication
The eastern emperor sought reconcilation with the papacy
He happily received and reconciled the eastern emperor
The refusal of the Western princes to rally to the aid of the eastern Christians doomed this effort
The Turks were now loose in Asia Minor. Constantinople was under siege by the Turks
He added the third crown (imperial power) to royal and spiritual power
Gregory XI (1370-1378) 203rd Pope
He was noted for his learning in theology and piety
He was concerned with reunion with the Greeks
St. Catherine of Sienna called on Gregory XI to return to Rome
He condemned the heretical teachings of John Wycliff. These errors included the denial of Transubstantiation,, the primacy of preaching over the sacraments, sola scriptura, and the denial of papal primacy
The Roman senate donated a part of Vatican Hill to him
Urban VI (1378-1389) 204th Pope
The French wanted another Frenchman for the papacy. They wanted to return to Avignon
Their Italian counterparts and Italian mob wanted an Italian
He was anxious to reform the Church, which the French cardinals resented
The malcontents declared that the papal election to be invalid. They appointed the anti-pope Clement VII who moved the papacy to Avignon
This began the Great Western Schism, which lasted forty years
This was the first conclave to be held in the Vatican
Boniface IX (1389-1404) 205th Pope
He had a number of difficulties to deal with
Owing to the great lack of money in papal coffers, he issued a new tax on Christians
This helped pave the way for problems in the next century
He appealed for a crusade to assist the hard-pressed Eastern emperor. This received little response
He made little headway the resolving the schism with the anti-pope
Benedict XIII replaced Clement VII as the next anti-pope
Negotiations for both popes to resign faltered.
A number of cardinals elect deposed these two popes and select another pope. Now there were three who claimed to be pope