1. INTRODUCTION
-
Because of the French influence
more and more Frenchmen were included in the college of
Cardinals so the next popes were
Frenchmen.
-
Clement V
(1305-1314) did not think it necessary to go to Rome. He was consecrated in Lyons
and remained in France à resided in Avignon à Babylonian Captivity[1]
2. THE “BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY” OF THE PAPACY IN AVIGNON
(1306-1378)
-
It refers to the Papacy's sojourn in Avignon between 1309
and 1378, when the Popes became irresolute tools in the hands of power-hungry
French rulers and toy of international politics therefore seen by some
as "captives" of the French Kings .As a consequence, the papacy
renounced its freedom of decision and lost its supra-partisan universal
ecclesiatical authority.
-
Repercussion: The transfer from Rome to Avignon is the shifting of spiritual and political
center of gravity.
ROME
-
The Eternal City of Rome is connected to
- century old tradition
- succession to the
apostolic see of St. Peter
- concept of a western
universalism founded by the Imperium Romanum.
AVIGNON
-
situated completely within the sphere of power of the
French Monarchy
-
Even if Clement VI purchased Avignon in 1348 and become an independent papal territory à still surrounded on all
sides by th French Kingdom
-
Repercussion: The
Popes of the 11th and 12th centuries were free from the
superiority of the emperor.They defended succefully the struggles against the
Staufic Sicilian policy à now voluntary surreder
to the French King by the French Popes
CLEMENT
V (1305-1314)
-
The first Avignon
Pope
-
As “Captive”
- He had to give in to
the demand French king to open proceedings against the late
Boniface VIII
- He was quiet to the
request of Philip the Fair to destroy the Templars.
-
the king coveted
the wealth & privileges of the Templars
-
1307 – Philip
slandered by accusing them of heresy and sodomy.
-
2,000 Templars
were arrested, their estates confiscated.
-
Philip used
torture to extract confessions and fictitious accusations
-
Clement V take no
step and after initial hesitation he also accused them of heresy
-
Clement V
dissolved the Order of the Knights Templar on March 22, 1312 at the Council of
Vienne.
-
Philip the Fair
took their possessions and made over into Knights of St. John à Clement V is silent.
-
Clement V
tolerated Philip the Fair when he burned Grand Master Jacques de Molay and
other Templars in Paris in 1314 despite his protestation of innocence
JOHN
XXII (1316-1334)
-
The pope removed King
Louis the Bavarian (1314-1347) in office in 1323 under a shabby pretext.
-
Last great battle
between the sacerdotium and imperium à issue is not one of ideas but naked political goals.
DEFENSOR
PACIS AND CONCILIARISM: IMPERIAL COUNTER ATTACK AGAINST THE PAPACY [30 points]
DEFENSOR
PACIS
-
For the first
time, there’s an imperial counterattack is not against individual pope but
the papacy as an institution.
-
The Pope is just
a human creation who must be in the service of the people of God.
-
In 1324, Louis
the Bavarian moved against John XXII by appealing to the General Council.
-
All opponents of
the pope were gathered including two scholars from the University of Paris,
Marsilius of Padua and John Jandun who fled from France.
-
The General
Council presented Louis as Defensor Pacis
a.
He questioned the
hierarchical order of the Church and demanded a democratic structure.
b.
He denied the
papal primacy and assigned the supreme power of the Church to the people alone.
c.
He asserted that
the Church was the community of all believers and that the clergy is not
superior to the laity.
CONCILIARISM
-
The theory that
basically placed the general council above the Pope.
-
Neither popes nor
bishops nor priests had received an independent function from Christ; they
officiated merely as agents of the congregatio fidelium which was
represented by the general council.
-
General Council
is the highest authority in the Church which transformed the papacy into a mere
executive organ of the council, subordinated it to the council, and obliged the
pope to be obedient to the council which had the right to demand an account
from him at any time and if necessary, to remove him from office.
-
Radical point: the Papacy
is simply a human institution and that the real congregatio fidelis is
the general council.
-
Popes and bishops
are merely human creation therefore Popes can be opposed because they are not
the Vicarius Christi.
-
It is extremely
revolutionary ideas. It is a clash of theological, ideological ideas not
physical. Papacy sank more and more.
O-o-O-o-O
FISCALISM
-
It is the
acquisition of money, resources, and taxes to run the Curia
-
Reasons for
Fiscalism:
a.
The Papal court had to replace the failing
revenues of the Papal States.
b.
The Papacy has to
adapt itself to the new circumstances of transition from agrarian to money
economy which takes place because of the flowering of mercantile cities.
-
Fiscalism caused
anger and disturbance because
a.
the fees for dispensation, privileges and
pardons often is full of simony
b.
there were fees
for provisions, reservations and expectancies
c.
payment to the
archbishop for receiving the pallium
d.
Annate and spoils
from the revenues of the first year and the property of deceased prelates.
e.
Crusade tax
though there were no crusades.
f.
Feudal taxes and
taxes from the countries which become fiefs under Innocent III
g.
And many more…
-
These demands
were exacted ruthlessly under threats of censure and excommunication esp. Germany
where attitude of Papacy to Louis Bavarian was considered hostile to Germany à resentment grows à this resentment found reflection in the 15th
century Gravamina Nationis Germanicae[2] and final
effect in the 16th century mass defections at the time of the
Reformation.
3. THE GREAT WESTERN SCHISM (1378-1415)
-
The Avignon
exile contributed to the great crisis
which followed: The Great Western
Schism (378-1415) and the epoch of Conciliarism
START
OF SCHISM
-
Schism[3] occurred with the death of Gregory XI (1370-1378) the
schism occurred. Influenced by the great prophetic announcements of Catherine
of Siena (+1380) and Bridget of Sweden[4] (+1373) + the chaotic conditions in the Papal States.
Gregory XI returned to Rome in 1377 but
died before he can leave again.
CONCLAVE
UNDER PRESSURE
-
The law on Papal
election requires that the conclave had to be held in Rome for the first time
in 70 years.
-
11 out of 16
Cardinals were Frenchmen and Romans fear that another Frenchman would be
elected Pope
-
To prevent à they put the electors under severe pressure, armed
bands made it to the conclave and demanded that a Roman be elected.
-
The cardinals
realized that they have to acquiesce of they want to survive the conclave.
-
April 8, 1378 à Urban II, an Italian was elected
-
The Cardinals
fled the city for safety and they return for Urban’s coronation on April 18,
1378 and swore allegiance to him.
THE
CHURCH NOW HAS TWO POPES
-
3 months later,
11 Frenchmen and a sole Spaniard Peter Luna[5] left Urban’s court and declared that because of the
use of force, under grave fear and coercion, the election was annulled.
-
September 20,
1378 à French Pope Clement
VII (1378-1394) was elected. He stayed in Avignon.
-
The three Italian
Cardinals (the fourth had died) renounced Urban and supported Clement VII
-
The Church now
has two popes!
-
Although French
nationalistic and egoistic intrigues were a major cause of the double election,
the fact of the riotous character of Urban’s selection cannot be denied.
-
Under such
circumstances the validity of Urban’s election cannot be proven, conversely the
invalidity of Clement’s election cannot simply be maintained either.
URBAN
VI: MAY TOPAK?
-
After Urban VI
inauguration, he showed himself so overbearing, cruel, and fanatical not only
to the cardinals but also his curial officials and supporters were of the
opinion that his sudden elevation had left him mentally deranged.
-
According to
canon law, the election of a mentally deranged person to the papacy is invalid.
DOMINICANS
ON BOTH SIDES
-
St. Catherine of Siena
defended Urban VI sole legitimacy
-
St. Vincent
Ferrer stood for the exclusive validity of Clement VII’s election.
NON
POSSUMUS [WE CANNOT (RENOUNCE)]
-
Both Popes were
so deeply convinced of their own legitimacy and the illegality of other.
-
They regarded it
as a principle of conscience to defend the Papacy with all means and to combat
their opponent
-
To voluntarily
resign from the papal office to free the way of the Church to unity, which was
suggested to them frequently, was rejected
by both popes with Non Possumus
-
It is in first
person plural, we which means the Church is involved.
-
Given the
conviction of their conscience such a step had to appear to them as treason to the
legitimacy and validity of the apostolic succession which is obligated to them
by God to preserve.
ROMAN
LINE OF SUCCESSION
Urban
VI (1378-1389)
Boniface IX (1389-1404)
AVIGNON LINE OF SUCCESSION
Clement VII (1378-1394)
Innocent
VII (1404-1406)
Gregory
XII (1406-1415)
4. CONCLUSION
ALTERNATIVES
FOR OVERCOMING THE SCHISM
-
In 1394, the University
of Paris suggested three alternatives.
a.
Via Cessionis (voluntary renunciation)
b.
Via
Compromissi (submission of the Pope to arbitration)
c.
Via Concilii (Decision by a general council)
EFECTS
OF THE GREAT WESTERN SCHISM [Good Question for Finals]
a.
Western Europe
was politically divided over which pope to support. Of course France supported
the Avignon pope. Along with France were Sicily, Scotland, Castile, Aragon, and
Portugal. On the other side, Rome supported the Roman pope, as did Flanders, Poland,
Hungary and Germany.
b.
There was a
constitutional crisis between two popes. The two popes were constant rivals. De
facto all Christianity was under ban. The subjects of the one pope was excommunicated
the other. It was common to hear each calling the other the anti-pope and also
trying to get him out of a position of leadership.
c.
The influence
extended to all countries, dioceses and parishes and caused discord and
conflict, as both popes appointed their own candidates and all offices were
filled doubly.
d.
Many citizens
were confused over this split.” The papal office suffered the most; the pope's
authority diminished as pious Christians became bewildered and disgusted."
[2] Gravamina Nationis Germanicae (Grievances of
the German “Nation”) is the articulation of grievances of various German princes and Holy Roman Emperors
against Rome which started as early as 1417 Council of Constance.
[3] Schism is
the refusal of submission to the Roman Pontiff or of the communion with the
members of the Church subject to him (CCC 2089)
[4] She went to
see the Grandeur of the Eternal City as a pilgrim of Rome for the Jubilee of
1350 but what she saw was a shocking despicable place.
[5]
The future Avignonese Pope Benedict XIII (1394-1417)
[6]
Peter Luna
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