Pope Clement VI
Born Pierre Roger, Clement was abbot of Benedictine monasteries at Fécamp and La Chaise-Dieu before he became archbishop of Sens and Rouen and then a cardinal. He was strongly pro-French and was the fourth pope to reside in Avignon. Not only did he turn down an opportunity to return the papacy to Rome, he purchased Avignon from Joanna of Naples, whom he absolved of her husband's murder.
Clement saw some success in crusading, sponsoring a naval expedition that took control of Smyrna, which was given to the Knights of St. John, and ended its pirate raids in the Mediterranean. Clement was a patron of artists and scholars, and, enlarging the papal palace, made it a sophisticated center of culture. He survived the worst of the Black Death, offering protection to the Jews when many were persecuted under suspicion of starting the pestilence.
Important Dates
Elected Pope: May 7, 1342
Consecrated: May 19, 1342
Died: Dec. 6, 1352
On the Web
Biographical
Catholic Encyclopedia: Pope Clement VI
Substantial biography by N. A. Weber.Clement VI (1342-1352)
A brief overview of Clement's pontificate by Dr. Ellis Knox from his site on the papacy.Pope Clement VI
Brief but well-hyperlinked bio at Wikipedia.Pope Clement VI
Short, heavily-hyperlinked collection of data at the Patron Saints Index.
Related
Background
The Avignon Papacy 1305-1378
Lecture notes on the Papacy's move to France include a brief outline of the problems the Church suffered by leaving Rome and how it responded. By Lynn Nelson at the University of Kansas.
In Print
The links below will take you to a site where you can compare prices at booksellers across the web. More in-depth info about the book may be found by clicking on to the book's page at one of the online merchants.
Clement VI: The Pontificate and Ideas of an Avignon Pope
by Diana WoodLives of the Popes: The Pontiffs from St. Peter to John Paul II
by Richard P. McBrienChronicle of the Popes: The Reign-by-Reign Record of the Papacy over 2000 Years
by P. G. Maxwell-Stuart
Related Resources
The Papacy
Index of sites regarding the Popes and the political entity of the Papal States, their impact on medieval culture, and the schisms they endured and overcame.
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