Clement V, pope

Clement V, 1264–1314, pope (1305–14), a Frenchman named Bertrand de Got; successor of Benedict XI. He was made archbishop of Bordeaux by Boniface VIII Boniface VIII, 1235–1303, pope (1294–1303), an Italian (b. Anagni) named Benedetto Caetani; successor of St. Celestine V.

As a cardinal he was independent of the factions in the papal court, and he opposed the election of Celestine.
..... Click the link for more information. , who trusted him; surprisingly, he was also in some favor at the court of Philip IV Philip IV (Philip the Fair), 1268–1314, king of France (1285–1314), son and successor of Philip III. The policies of his reign greatly strengthened the French monarchy and increased the royal revenues.
..... Click the link for more information. , even though Philip and the pope were archenemies. He was crowned pope at Lyons in Philip's presence and lived the rest of his life in France. In 1309 he settled at Avignon, beginning the long, controversial residency of the papacy papacy (pā`pəsē), office of the pope, head of the Roman Catholic Church.
..... Click the link for more information. there. The pontificate of Clement is one long chronicle of dictation by the French king. Although Clement effectively squelched Philip's effort to have Boniface posthumously condemned as a heretic—an act that would have been disastrous to the papacy—he supported Philip in the infamous suppression of the Knights Templars Knights Templars (tĕm`plərz)
..... Click the link for more information. . He called the Council of Vienne (1311; see Vienne, Council of Vienne, Council of, 1311–12, 15th ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church, held at Vienne, France. It was convened by Pope Clement V at the behest of Philip IV of France as a further move in the plan of the French king to destroy the Knights Templars .
..... Click the link for more information. ) to settle the issue and to deal with questions of heresy and church reform. He opposed Philip by supporting the election and coronation (1312) of Henry VII as Holy Roman emperor, but later renounced Henry for his policies in Italy. The Constitutiones Clementinae, issued by the pope in 1313, are important in canon law. He was succeeded by John XXII.

Clement V

orig. Bertrand de Got

(born c. 1260, Bordelais region, France—died April 20, 1314, Roquemaure, Provence) Pope (1305–14), the first to reside at Avignon, France. He became archbishop of Bordeaux in 1299 and was elected pope six years later. By creating a majority of French cardinals, he ensured the election of a line of French popes. He moved the seat of the papacy to Avignon, under pressure from King Philip IV of France, who also forced Clement to annul Pope Boniface VIII's decisions that were unfavourable to France. The king also compeled the pope to dissolve the Templars, which Philip brutally suppressed. Clement opposed Holy Roman Emperor Henry VII after 1313 and appointed the king of Naples as imperial vicar on Henry's death. His decretals, the Clementinae, were a notable contribution to canon law.

Clement V

original name Bertrand de Got. ?1264--1314, pope (1305--14): removed the papal seat from Rome to Avignon in France (1309)