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What was the Avignon papacy and why did it affect the papacy?
The Avignon Papacy refers to the period from 1309 to 1378 when the seat of the papacy was in Avignon, France. Pope Clement V chose to move the papal court to southeastern France because of the turbulence in Rome caused by the conflict between his predecessor and King Philip of France.
Why was the Avignon papacy a problem?
The papacy's reputation suffered because of its inability to reform itself, to bring an end to the 100 Years' War, or to provide sacraments during the Black Death. The last was particularly damaging, since the papacy in Avignon had declared that the sacraments were necessary to salvation.
What were the achievements of the Avignon popes?
Some notable achievements of the Avignon popes include: The administrative offices and other agencies of the papacy were extensively and effectively reorganized and centralized. Missionary enterprises were expanded; ultimately, they would reach as far as China. University education was promoted.
Why was Avignon important in the Middle Ages?
Avignon was Europe's largest construction zone, and its population grew from 6,000 to 25,000. (Today 13,000 people live within its walls.) The massive Palace of the Popes was the most fortified palace of the time — and with 10-foot-thick walls, it was a symbol of power.
Did the Avignon papacy cause the Great Schism?
The most extreme and inflexible... After Pope Gregory XI reestablished the papal capital in Rome in 1377, cardinals of the Sacred College selected a second pope, who assumed the vacant Avignon seat. This marked the onset of the Great Western Schism.
How did the Avignon papacy end?
Pope Gregory XI returned to Rome in 1376 and ended the Avignon Papacy.
What was the Avignon Papacy and why did it occur quizlet?
The Avignon papacy was a papacy under strong French influence because most of the cardinals were French. This led to the papacy needing to prove themselves politically and economically. Therefore the papacy needed to pull off political schemes.
When was the Avignon Papacy?
1309 – 1377Avignon Papacy / Period
What caused the Great Schism?
The Great Schism came about due to a complex mix of religious disagreements and political conflicts. One of the many religious disagreements between the western (Roman) and eastern (Byzantine) branches of the church had to do with whether or not it was acceptable to use unleavened bread for the sacrament of communion.
How did the Avignon papacy affect the church?
During the Avignon papacy the cardinals began to play a stronger role in church government, church and clergy were reformed, missionary efforts were expanded, and popes tried to settle royal rivalries and establish peace.
Why did the pope move to Avignon?
French-born Pope Clement V ordered the move in response to the increasingly fractious and political environment in Rome, which had seen his predecessors face off against Philip IV of France – the man who had ensured Clement's election by the conclave and who was pressing for the papal residence to move to France.
Who lost the 100 years war?
Yes, the French eventually won the Hundred Years' War. Following their defeat at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, the French soon recovered and won several battles and finally fully defeated the English at the Battle of Castillon in 1453.
What was the Avignon papacy and why did it occur quizlet?
The Avignon papacy was a papacy under strong French influence because most of the cardinals were French. This led to the papacy needing to prove themselves politically and economically. Therefore the papacy needed to pull off political schemes.
What caused the Great Schism?
The Great Schism came about due to a complex mix of religious disagreements and political conflicts. One of the many religious disagreements between the western (Roman) and eastern (Byzantine) branches of the church had to do with whether or not it was acceptable to use unleavened bread for the sacrament of communion.
Why did the election of a French pope lead to a split in the papacy?
The schism was driven by personalities and political allegiances, with the Avignon papacy being closely associated with the French monarchy. These rival claims to the papal throne damaged the prestige of the office. The papacy had resided in Avignon since 1309, but Pope Gregory XI returned to Rome in 1377.
What happened to the Catholic Church during the French Revolution?
During a two-year period known as the Reign of Terror, the episodes of anti-clericalism grew more violent than any in modern European history. The new revolutionary authorities suppressed the Church, abolished the Catholic monarchy, nationalized Church property, exiled 30,000 priests, and killed hundreds more.
What was the Avignon papacy?
The Avignon Papacy, also known as the Babylonian Captivity, was the period from 1309 to 1376 during which seven successive popes resided in Avignon (then in the Kingdom of Arles , part of the Holy Roman Empire, now in France ) rather than in Rome. The situation arose from the conflict between the papacy and the French crown, culminating in the death of Pope Boniface VIII after his arrest and maltreatment by Philip IV of France. Following the further death of Pope Benedict XI, Philip forced a deadlocked conclave to elect the French Clement V as pope in 1305. Clement refused to move to Rome, and in 1309 he moved his court to the papal enclave at Avignon, where it remained for the next 67 years. This absence from Rome is sometimes referred to as the " Babylonian captivity of the Papacy".
What was the influence of the French during the Avignon papacy?
Beginning with Clement V, elected 1305, all popes during the Avignon papacy were French. However, this makes French influence seem greater than it was. Southern France ( Occitania) at that time had a culture quite independent from Northern France, where most of the advisers to the King of France were based. The Kingdom of Arles was not yet part of France at that time, formally a part of the Holy Roman Empire. The literature produced by the troubadours in the Languedoc is unique and strongly distinct from that of Royal circles in the north. Even in terms of religion, the South produced its own variety of Christianity, Catharism, which was ultimately declared heretical. The movement was fueled in no small part by the strong sense of independence in the South even though the region had been severely weakened during the Albigensian Crusade a hundred years before. By the time of the Avignon Papacy, the power of the French King in this region was uncontested, although still not legally binding.
How did the relationship between the Papacy and France change?
The relationship between the papacy and France changed drastically over the course of the 14th century. Starting with open conflict between Pope Boniface VIII and King Philip IV of France, it turned to cooperation from 1305 to 1342, and finally to a papacy under strong influence by the French throne up to 1378. Such partisanship of the papacy was one of the reasons for the dropping esteem for the institution, which in turn was one of the reasons for the schism from 1378 to 1417. In the period of the Schism, the power struggle in the papacy became a battlefield of the major powers, with France supporting the Pope in Avignon and England supporting the Pope in Rome. At the end of the century, still in the state of schism, the papacy had lost most of its direct political power, and the nation states of France and England were established as two of the main powers in Europe.
Why were the Avignon popes not a puppet of the French king?
There are other historians who do not accept the view that the Avignon popes were puppets of the French king as they have sometimes been characterized. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, it was not unusual for the pope to reside outside of Rome. Neither of Clement V's two predecessors resided in Rome when they died. In fact, this was not uncommon. Since the eleventh century “their [the pope’s] struggles with the Emperor or the Roman commune had driven the popes from Rome or left them insecure there.” They moved about the Papal States, and even beyond the Alps. Indeed, between 1100 and 1304 the popes “spent one-hundred and twenty-two years out of Rome as against eighty-two actually in residence.” The pope was very often outside of Rome.
Why did Clement V choose Avignon?
In complete agreement with the cardinals, Clement V decided to transfer the court to Avignon.". The choice to stay in Avignon by Clement and the cardinals was conscious and clearly thought out. Rather than being held “captive,” the papacy specifically chose Avignon as its residence with good reason.
What happened to Pope Boniface VIII?
The situation arose from the conflict between the papacy and the French crown, culminating in the death of Pope Boniface VIII after his arrest and maltreatment by Philip IV of France. Following the further death of Pope Benedict XI, Philip forced a deadlocked conclave to elect the French Clement V as pope in 1305.
How many popes were there in 1376?
A total of seven popes reigned at Avignon, all French, and all under the influence of the French Crown. In 1376, Gregory XI abandoned Avignon and moved his court to Rome (arriving on January 17, 1377).
What is the Avignon papacy?
our editorial process. Melissa Snell. Updated June 24, 2020. The term "Avignon Papacy" refers to the Catholic papacy during the period from 1309 through 1377, when the popes lived in and operated out of Avignon, France, instead of their traditional home in Rome. The Avignon Papacy was also known as The Babylon Captivity ...
What were the achievements of the Avignon Popes?
The popes were not idle during their time in France. Some of them made sincere efforts to improve the situation of the Catholic Church and to achieve peace in Christendom. Some notable achievements of the Avignon popes include: 1 The administrative offices and other agencies of the papacy were extensively and effectively reorganized and centralized. 2 Missionary enterprises were expanded; ultimately, they would reach as far as China. 3 University education was promoted. 4 The College of Cardinals began to strengthen their role in the government of church affairs. 5 Attempts were made to settle secular conflicts.
How many of the 134 cardinals were French?
All seven of the Avignonese popes and 111 of the 134 cardinals created during the Avignon papacy were French. Although the Avignonese popes were able to maintain a measure of independence, the French kings did exert influence from time to time. Importantly, the appearance of French influence on the papacy, whether real or not, was undeniable.
What would happen if the Avignon administration was bad?
The bad reputation of the Avignon administration, whether deserved or not, would damage the prestige of the papacy. Many Christians were already facing crises of faith thanks to the problems encountered during and after the Black Death. The gulf between the Catholic Church and lay Christians seeking spiritual guidance would only widen.
Why did Gregory XI move the See back to Rome?
When Gregory XI moved the See back to Rome, he did so over the objections of the Cardinals in France. The man elected to succeed him , Urban VI, was so hostile to the cardinals that 13 of them met to choose another pope, who, far from replacing Urban, could only stand in opposition to him.
Did the Italians attack the Avignon popes?
Italian interests in the papacy had in past centuries resulted in just as much corruption as in Avignon, if not more so, but this did not stop Italians from attacking the Avignon popes with fervor. One particularly vociferous critic was Petrarch, who had spent most of his childhood in Avignon and, after taking minor orders, was to spend more time there in clerical service. In a famous letter to a friend, he described Avignon as the "Babylon of the West," a sentiment that took hold in the imagination of future scholars.
Is Avignon a French country?
Although Avignon belonged to the papacy (it was purchased from papal vassals in 1348), there was the perception that it belonged to France, and that the popes were, therefore, beholden to the French Crown for their livelihoods. In addition, the Papal States in Italy now had to answer to French authorities.
Overview
The Avignon Papacy was the period from 1309 to 1376 during which seven successive popes resided in Avignon (then in the Kingdom of Arles, part of the Holy Roman Empire, now in France) rather than in Rome. The situation arose from the conflict between the papacy and the French crown, culminating in the death of Pope Boniface VIII after his arrest and maltreatment by Philip IV of France. Following the further death of Pope Benedict XI, Philip forced a deadlocked conclave t…
Avignon popes
Among the popes who resided in Avignon, subsequent Catholic historiography grants legitimacy to these:
• Pope Clement V: 1305–1314 (curia moved to Avignon March 9, 1309)
• Pope John XXII: 1316–1334
Background
The papacy in the Late Middle Ages played a major temporal role in addition to its spiritual role. The conflict between the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor was fundamentally a dispute over which of them was the leader of Christendom in secular matters. In the early 14th century, the papacy was well past the prime of its secular rule – its importance had peaked in the 12th and 13th centuries. Th…
Papacy in the 14th century
After the arrest of the Bishop of Pamiers by Philip IV of France in 1301, Pope Boniface VIII issued the bull Salvator Mundi, retracting all privileges granted to the French king by previous popes, and a few weeks later Ausculta fili with charges against the king, summoning him before a council to Rome. In a bold assertion of papal sovereignty, Boniface declared that "God has placed us ove…
Legacy
The period has been called the "Babylonian captivity" of the popes. When and where this term originated is uncertain although it may have sprung from Petrarch, who in a letter to a friend (1340–1353) written during his stay at Avignon, described Avignon of that time as the "Babylon of the west", referring to the worldly practices of the church hierarchy. The nickname is polemical, in referring to the claim by critics that the prosperity of the church at that time was accompanied b…
Effects on the papacy
The relationship between the papacy and France changed drastically over the course of the 14th century. Starting with open conflict between Pope Boniface VIII and King Philip IV of France, it turned to cooperation from 1305 to 1342, and finally to a papacy under strong influence by the French throne up to 1378. Such partisanship of the papacy was one of the reasons for the dropping esteem for the institution, which in turn was one of the reasons for the schism from 137…
See also
• Anglicanism – Christian denominational tradition
• Châteauneuf-du-Pape
• Gallicanism – Rejection of ultramontanism
• Lollardy – Radical Christian reform movement
Further reading
• Ladurie, E. le Roi. Montaillou, Catholics and Cathars in a French Village, 1294–1324, trans. B. Bray, 1978. Also published as Montaillou: The Promised Land of Error.
• Read, P. P., The Templars, Phoenix Press. Chapter 17, "The Temple Destroyed"
• Renouard, Yves. Avignon Papacy.
Origins of The Avignon Papacy
The French Nature of The Avignon Papacy
The Avignonese Popes
Achievements of The Avignon Papacy
- The popes were not idle during their time in France. Some of them made sincere efforts to improve the situation of the Catholic Church and to achieve peace in Christendom. Some notable achievements of the Avignon popes include: 1. The administrative offices and other agencies of the papacy were extensively and effectively reorganized and centralize...
The Avignon Papacy's Poor Reputation
The End of The Avignon Papacy
Repercussions of The Avignon Papacy