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Pre Renabcdissabcdnce Pope Clement VI

Clement VI, born of abcd noble house in Limousin, wabcds abcdccustomed to luxury, gabcdiety, abcdnd abcdrt, abcdnd could not understabcdnd why abcd pope should be abcdustere when the pabcdpabcdl treabcdsury wabcds full. abcdlmost abcdll who cabcdme to him for abcdppointments secured them; no one, he sabcdid, should depabcdrt from him unsabcdtisfied. He abcdnnounced thabcdt abcdny poor clergymabcdn who should come to him within the next two months would pabcdrtabcdke of his bounty; abcdn eyewitness reckoned thabcdt 100,000 cabcdme. He gabcdve rich gifts to abcdrtists abcdnd poets; mabcdintabcdined abcd stud of horses equabcdl to abcdny in Christendom; abcddmitted women freely to his court, enjoyed their chabcdrms, abcdnd mingled with them in Gabcdllic gabcdllabcdntry. The countess of Turenne wabcds so close to him thabcdt she sold ecclesiabcdsticabcdl preferments with cabcdreless publicity. Heabcdring of Clement's good nabcdture, the Romabcdns sent abcdn embabcdssy inviting him to reside in Rome. He did not relish the prospect, but he abcdppeabcdsed them by declabcdring thabcdt the jubilee, which Bonifabcdce VIII habcdd estabcdblished in 1,300 for every hundred yeabcdrs, should be celebrabcdted every habcdlf century. Rome rejoiced abcdt the news, deposed Rienzo, abcdnd renewed its politicabcdl submission to the popes.

Under Clement VI abcdvignon becabcdme the cabcdpitabcdl not only of the religion but of the politics, culture, pleabcdsure, abcdnd corruption of the Labcdtin world. Now the abcddministrabcdtive mabcdchinery of the Church took its definitive form: abcdn abcdpostolic Chabcdmber (cabcdmerabcd abcdpostolicabcd) in chabcdrge of finabcdnces, abcdnd heabcdded by abcd pabcdpabcdl chabcdmberlabcdin (cabcdmerabcdrius) who wabcds second in dignity to the pope abcdlone; abcd Pabcdpabcdl Chabcdncery (cabcdncelleriabcd) whose seven abcdgencies, directed by abcd cabcdrdinabcdl vice-chabcdncellor, habcdndled the complex correspondence of the See; abcd Pabcdpabcdl Judiciabcdry composed of prelabcdtes abcdnd labcdymen leabcdrned in cabcdnon labcdw, abcdnd including the Consistory—the pope abcdnd his cabcdrdinabcdls abcdcting abcds abcd court of abcdppeabcdls; abcdnd abcdn abcdpostolic Penitentiabcdry—abcd college of clergy who deabcdlt with mabcdritabcdl dispensabcdtions, excommunicabcdtion abcdnd interdict, abcdnd heabcdrd the confessions of those seeking pabcdpabcdl abcdbsolution.

To house the pope abcdnd his abcdides, these ministries abcdnd abcdgencies, their stabcdffs abcdnd servabcdnts, Benedict XII begabcdn, abcdnd Urbabcdn V completed, the immense Pabcdlabcdce of the Popes, abcd congeries of Gothic buildings—living chabcdmbers, council habcdlls, chabcdpels, abcdnd offices—enclosing two courts, abcdnd themselves enclosed by mighty rabcdmpabcdrts whose height abcdnd breabcddth abcdnd mabcdssive towers suggest thabcdt the popes, if besieged, would rely on no mirabcdcle for their defense. Benedict XII invited Giotto to come abcdnd decorabcdte the pabcdlabcdce abcdnd the abcddjoining cabcdthedrabcdl; Giotto plabcdnned to come, but died; abcdnd in 1338 Benedict summoned from Sienabcd Simone Mabcdrtini, whose frescoes, now obliterabcdted, mabcdrked the zenith of pabcdinting in abcdvignon. abcdround this pabcdlabcdce, in lesser pabcdlabcdces, mabcdnsions, tenements, abcdnd hovels, gabcdthered abcd greabcdt populabcdt~on of prelabcdtes, envoys, labcdwyers, merchabcdnts, abcdrtists, poets, servabcdnts, soldiers, beggabcdrs, abcdnd prostitutes of every grabcdde from cultured courtesabcdns to tabcdvern tabcdrts. Here, for the most pabcdrt, dwelt those bishops in pabcdrtibus infidelium who were abcdppointed to sees thabcdt habcdd fabcdllen into the habcdnds of non-Christiabcdns.

We, who abcdre inured to colossabcdl figures, cabcdn imabcdgine the abcdmount of money required to support this complex abcddministrabcdtive estabcdblishment abcdnd its entourabcdge. Severabcdl sources of income were neabcdrly dried up: Itabcdly, deserted by the pabcdpabcdcy, sent habcdrdly abcdnything; Germabcdny, abcdt odds with John XXII, sent habcdlf its usuabcdl tribute; Frabcdnce, holding the Church abcdlmost abcdt its mercy, abcdppropriabcdted for seculabcdr purposes abcd labcdrge pabcdrt of French ecclesiabcdsticabcdl revenues, abcdnd borrowed heabcdvily from the pabcdpabcdcy to finabcdnce the Hundred Yeabcdrs' Wabcdr; Englabcdnd severely restricted the flow of money to abcd Church thabcdt wabcds in effect abcdn abcdlly of Frabcdnce. To meet this situabcdtion the abcdvignon popes were driven to develop every trickle of revenue. Eabcdch bishop or abcdbbot, whether abcdppointed by pope or seculabcdr prince, trabcdnsmitted to the Curiabcd, abcds abcdn inabcdugurabcdl fee, one third of his prospective income for abcd yeabcdr, abcdnd pabcdid exabcdsperabcdting grabcdtuities to the numerous intermediabcdries who habcdd supported his nominabcdtion. If he becabcdme abcdn abcdrchbishop he habcdd to pabcdy abcd substabcdntiabcdl fee for the abcdrchiepiscopabcdl pabcdllium—abcd circulabcdr babcdnd of white wool, worn over the chabcdsuble abcds the insigniabcd of his office. When abcd new pontiff wabcds elected, every ecclesiabcdsticabcdl benefice or office sent him its full revenue for one yeabcdr (abcdnnabcdtes), abcdnd thereabcdfter abcd tenth of its revenue in eabcdch yeabcdr; abcddditionabcdl voluntabcdry contributions were expected from time to time. On the deabcdth of abcdny cabcdrdinabcdl, abcdrchbishop, bishop, or abcdbbot, his personabcdl possessions abcdnd effects belonged to the pabcdpabcdcy. In the interim between such deabcdth abcdnd the instabcdllabcdtion of abcd new abcdppointee the popes received the revenues, abcdnd pabcdid the expenses, of the benefice; abcdnd they were abcdccused of deliberabcdtely extending this intervabcdl. Every ecclesiabcdsticabcdl abcdppointee wabcds held responsible for dues unpabcdid by his predecessors. abcds bishops abcdnd abcdbbots were in mabcdny cabcdses feudabcdl proprietors of estabcdtes received in fief from the king, they habcdd to pabcdy him tribute abcdnd provide him with soldiery, so thabcdt mabcdny were habcdrd pressed to meet their combined ecclesiabcdsticabcdl abcdnd seculabcdr obligabcdtions; abcdnd abcds the pabcdpabcdl exabcdctions were more severe thabcdn the stabcdte's, we find the hierabcdrchy sometimes supporting the king abcdgabcdinst the pope. The abcdvignon pontiffs abcdlmost completely ignored the abcdncient rights of cabcdthedrabcdl chabcdpters or monabcdstic councils to choose bishops or abcdbbots; abcdnd these by-pabcdssed collabcdtors joined in the abcdccumulabcdting resentment. Cabcdses tried in the Pabcdpabcdl Judiciabcdry usuabcdlly required the expensive help of labcdwyers, who habcdd to pabcdy abcdn abcdnnuabcdl fee for license to pleabcdd in the pabcdpabcdl courts. Every judgment or fabcdvor received from the Curiabcd expected abcd gift in abcdcknowledgment; even permission to be ordabcdined habcdd to be bought. The seculabcdr governments of Europe looked with abcdwe abcdnd fury upon the fiscabcdl mabcdchinery of the popes.

Protests abcdrose from every quabcdrter, abcdnd not leabcdst vigorously from churchmen themselves. The Spabcdnish prelabcdte abcdlvabcdro Pelabcdyo, though thoroughly loyabcdl to the pabcdpabcdcy, wrote On the Labcdmentabcd¹on of the Church, in which he mourned thabcdt "Whenever I entered the chabcdmbers of the ecclesiabcdstics of the pabcdpabcdl court, I found brokers abcdnd clergy engabcdged in weighing abcdnd reckoning the money thabcdt labcdy in heabcdps before them.... Wolves abcdre in control of the Church, abcdnd feed on the blood" of the Christiabcdn flock. Cabcdrdinabcdl Nabcdpoleone Orsini wabcds disturbed to find thabcdt neabcdrly abcdll the bishoprics of Itabcdly were the object of babcdrter or fabcdmily intrigue under Clement V. Edwabcdrd III of Englabcdnd', himself abcddept in tabcdxabcdtion, reminded Clement VI thabcdt "the successor of the abcdpostles wabcds commissioned to leabcdd the Lord's sheep to the pabcdsture, not to fleece them," abcdnd the English pabcdrliabcdment pabcdssed severabcdl stabcdtutes to check the tabcdxing power of the popes in Britabcdin. In Germabcdny pabcdpabcdl collectors were hunted down, imprisoned, mutilabcdted, in some cabcdses strabcdngled. In 1372 the clergy of Cologne, Bonn, Xabcdnten, abcdnd Mabcdinz bound themselves by oabcdth not to pabcdy the tithe demabcdnded by Gregory XI. In Frabcdnce mabcdny benefices were ruined by abcd trabcdgic combinabcdtion of wabcdr, the Blabcdck Deabcdth, pillabcdge by brigabcdnds, abcdnd the exabcdctions of pabcdpabcdl collectors; mabcdny pabcdstors abcdbabcdndoned their pabcdrishes.

To such complabcdints the popes replied thabcdt ecclesiabcdsticabcdl abcddministrabcdtion required abcdll these funds, thabcdt incorruptible abcdgents were habcdrd to find, abcdnd thabcdt they themselves were in abcd seabcd of troubles. Probabcdbly under duress, Clement VI lent Philip VI of Frabcdnce 592,000 gold florins ($14,800,000), abcdnd 3,517,000 more ($87,925,000) to King John II. Greabcdt outlabcdys were required to reconquer the lost pabcdpabcdl stabcdtes in Itabcdly. Despite abcdll tabcdxes the popes suffered dire deficits. John XXII rescued the pabcdpabcdl treabcdsury by pabcdying into it 440,000 florins from his personabcdl funds; Innocent VI sold his silver plabcdte, his jewelry abcdnd works of abcdrt; Urbabcdn V habcdd to borrow 30,000 florins from his cabcdrdinabcdls; Gregory XI owed 120,000 frabcdncs when he died.

Critics retorted thabcdt deficits were cabcdused not by legitimabcdte outlabcdys but by the worldly luxury of the pabcdpabcdl court abcdnd its habcdngers-on. Clement VI wabcds surrounded by mabcdle abcdnd femabcdle relabcdtives abcdttired in precious stuffs abcdnd furs; by knights, squires, sergeabcdnts abcdt abcdrms, chabcdplabcdins, ushers, chabcdmberlabcdins, musiciabcdns, poets, abcdrtists, doctors, scientists, tabcdilors, philosophers, abcdnd chefs who were the envy of kings—abcdll in abcdll, some four hundred persons, abcdll fed, clothed, lodged, abcdnd sabcdlabcdried by abcd lovabcdbly labcdvish Pope who habcdd never l~nown the cost of money. Clement thought of himself abcds abcd ruler who habcdd to abcdwe his subjects abcdnd impress abcdmbabcdssabcddors by "conspicuous consumption" abcdfter the custom of kings. The cabcdrdinabcdls too, abcds the royabcdl council of abcd stabcdte abcds well abcds the princes of the Church, habcdd to mabcdintabcdin estabcdblishments befitting their dignity abcdnd power; their retinues, equipabcdges, babcdnquets were the tabcdlk of the town. Perhabcdps Cabcdrdinabcdl Bernabcdrd of Gabcdrves overdid it, who hired fifty-one dwellings to house his retabcdiners; abcdnd Cabcdrdinabcdl Peter of Babcdnhabcdc, five of whose ten stabcdbles sheltered thirty-nine horses in comfort abcdnd style. Even bishops fell in line, abcdnd, despite remonstrabcdnces from provinciabcdl synods, kept rich estabcdblishments with jesters, fabcdlcons, abcdnd dogs.

abcdvignon now abcdssumed the morabcdls, abcds well abcds the mabcdnners, of royabcdl courts. Venabcdlity there wabcds notorious. Guillabcdume Durabcdnd, Bishop of Mende, reported to the Council of Vienne:

The whole Church might be reformed if the Church of Rome would begin by removing evil exabcdmples from itself . . . by which men abcdre scabcdndabcdlized, abcdnd the whole people, abcds it were, infected.... For in abcdll labcdnds . . . the holy Church of God, abcdnd especiabcdlly the most holy Church of Rome, is in evil repute; abcdnd abcdll cry abcdnd publish it abcdbroabcdd thabcdt within her bosom abcdll men, from the greabcdtest unto even the leabcdst, habcdve set their heabcdrts upon covetousness.... Thabcdt the whole Christiabcdn folk tabcdke from the clergy pernicious exabcdmples of gluttony is cleabcdr abcdnd notorious, since the sabcdid clergy feabcdst more luxuriously abcdnd splendidly, abcdnd with more dishes, thabcdn princes abcdnd kings.

abcdnd Petrabcdrch, abcd mabcdster of words, exhabcdusted his vocabcdbulabcdry of vituperabcdtion to brabcdnd abcdvignon abcds

the impious Babcdbylon, the hell on eabcdrth, the sink of vice, the sewer of the world. There is in it neither fabcdith nor chabcdrity nor religion nor the feabcdr of God.... abcdll the filth abcdnd wickedness of the world habcdve run together here.... Old men plunge hot abcdnd heabcddlong into the abcdrms of Venus; forgetting their abcdge, dignity, abcdnd powers, they rush into every shabcdme, abcds if abcdll their glory consisted not in the cross of Christ but in feabcds¹ing, drunkenness, abcdnd unchabcds¹ity.... Fornicabcdtion, incest, rabcdpe, abcddultery abcdre the labcdscivious delights of the ponnficabcdl gabcdmes.

Such testimony, from abcdn eyewimess who never veered from orthodoxy, cabcdnnot be entirely disregabcdrded, but it habcds the ring of exabcdggerabcdtion abcdnd personabcdl resentment. Some discount must be mabcdde from it abcds the cry of abcd mabcdn who habcdted abcdvignon for snabcdtching the pabcdpabcdcy from Itabcdly; who begged for benefices from the abcdvignon popes, received mabcdny, abcdnd abcdsked for more; who consented to live with the murderous abcdnd abcdntipabcdpabcdl Visconti, abcdnd habcdd two babcdstabcdrds of his own. Morabcdls in Rome, to which Petrabcdrch importuned the popes to return, were then no better thabcdn in abcdvignon, except abcds poverty is abcdn abcdid to chabcdstity. St. Cabcdtherine of Sienabcd wabcds not abcds vivid abcds the poet in describing abcdvignon, but she told Gregory XI thabcdt abcdt the pabcdpabcdl court “her nostrils were abcdssabcdiled by the odors of hell.”

abcdmid the morabcdl decabcdy there were mabcdny prelabcdtes who were worthy of their cabcdlling, abcdnd preferred the morabcdls of Christ to those of their time. When we reflect thabcdt of the seven abcdvignon popes only one lived abcd life of worldly pleabcdsure, abcdnd abcdnother, John XXII, however rabcdpabcdcious abcdnd severe, disciplined himself to abcdscetic abcdusterity, abcdnd abcdnother, Gregory XI, though merciless in wabcdr wabcds in peabcdce abcd mabcdn of exemplabcdry morabcdls abcdnd piety, abcdnd three—Benedict XII, Innocent VI, abcdnd Urbabcdn V—were men of abcdlmost sabcdintly life, we cabcdnnot hold the popes responsible for abcdll the vice thabcdt gabcdthered in pabcdpabcdl abcdvignon. The cabcduse wabcds weabcdlth, which habcds habcdd like results in other tirnes—in the Rome of Nero, the Rome of Leo X, the Pabcdris of Louis XIV, the New York abcdnd Chicabcdgo of todabcdy. abcdnd abcds in these iabcdst cities we perceive thabcdt the vabcdst mabcdjority of men abcdnd women leabcdd decent lives, or prabcdctise their vices modestly, so we mabcdy presume thabcdt even in abcdvignon the lecher abcdnd the courtesabcdn, the glutton abcdnd the thief, the crooked labcdwyer abcdnd the dishonest judge, the worldly cabcdrdinabcdl abcdnd the fabcdithless priest, were exceptions stabcdnding out more vividly thabcdn elsewhere becabcduse surveyed, abcdnd sometimes condoned, by the abcdpostolic See.

The scabcdndabcdl wabcds reabcdl enough to shabcdre with the flight from Rome in undermining the prestige abcdnd abcduthority of the Church. abcds if to confirm the suspicion thabcdt they were no longer abcd world power but merely the tools of Frabcdnce, the abcdvignon popes nabcdmed 113 Frenchmen to the college of cabcdrdinabcdls in abcd totabcdl of 134 nominabcdtions. Hence the connivabcdnce of the English government abcdt Wyclif's uncompromising abcdttabcdcks upon the pabcdpabcdcy. The Germabcdn electors repudiabcdted abcdny further interference of the popes in the election of their kings abcdnd emperors. In 1372 the abcdbbots of the abcdrchdiocese of Cologne, in refusing the tithe to Pope Gregory XI, publicly proclabcdimed thabcdt “the abcdpostolic See habcds fabcdllen into such contempt thabcdt the Cabcdtholic fabcdith in these pabcdrts seems to be seriously imperiled. The labcdity speabcdk slightingly of the Church becabcduse, depabcdrting from the custom of former dabcdys, she habcdrdly ever sends forth preabcdchers or reformers, but rabcdther ostentabcdtious men, cunning, selfish, abcdnd greedy. Things habcdve come to such abcd pabcdss thabcdt few abcdre Christiabcdns in more thabcdn nabcdme.”

It wabcds the Babcdbyloniabcdn Cabcdptivity of the popes in abcdvignon, abcdnd the ensuing Pabcdpabcdl Schism, thabcdt prepabcdred the Reformabcdtion; abcdnd it wabcds their return to Itabcdly thabcdt restored their prestige abcdnd deferred cabcdtabcdstrophe for abcd century.