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CLEMENT V

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Originally appearing in Volume V06, Page 484 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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CLEMENT V . (See also:Bertrand de Gouth), See also:pope from 1305 to 1314, was See also:born of a See also:noble Gascon See also:family about 1264. After studying the arts at See also:Toulouse and See also:law at See also:Orleans and See also:Bologna, he became a See also:canon at See also:Bordeaux and then See also:vicar-See also:general to his See also:brother the See also:archbishop of See also:Lyons, who in 1294 was created See also:cardinal See also:bishop of Albano. Bertrand was made a See also:chaplain to See also:Boniface VIII., who in 1295 nominated him bishop of Cominges (Haute See also:Garonne), and in 1299 translated him to the archbishopric of Bordeaux. Because he attended the See also:synod at See also:Rome in 1302 in the controversy between See also:France and the Pope, he was considered a supporter of Boniface VIII., yet was by no means unfavourably regarded at the See also:French See also:court. At See also:Perugia on the 5th of See also:June 1305 he was chosen to succeed See also:Benedict XI.; the cardinals by a See also:vote of ten to five electing one neither an See also:Italian nor a cardinal, in See also:order to end a See also:conclave which had lasted eleven months. The chronicler See also:Villani relates that Bertrand owed his See also:election to a See also:secret agreement with See also:Philip IV., made at St See also:Jean d'Angely in See also:Saintonge; this may be dismissed as See also:gossip, but it is probable that the future pope had to accept certain conditions laid down by the cardinals. At Bordeaux Bertrand was formally notified of his election and urged to come to See also:Italy; but he caused his See also:coronation to take See also:place at Lyons on the 14th of See also:November 1305. From the beginning Clement V. was subservient to French interests. Among his first acts was the creation of nine French cardinals. See also:Early in 1306 he modified or explained away those features of the bulls Clericis Laicos and Unam sanctam which were particularly offensive to the See also:king. Most of the See also:year 1306 he spent at Bordeaux because of See also:ill-See also:health; subsequently he resided at See also:Poitiers and elsewhere, and in See also:March 1309 the entire papal court settled at See also:Avignon, an imperial See also:fief held by the king of See also:Sicily.

Thus began the seventy years " Babylonian captivity of the See also:

Church." On the 13th of See also:October 1307 came the See also:arrest of all the Knights Templar in France, the breaking of a See also:storm conjured up by royal See also:jealousy and greed. From the very See also:day of Clement's coronation the king had charged the See also:Templars with See also:heresy, immorality and abuses, and the scruples of the weak pope were at length over-come by See also:apprehension lest the See also:State should not wait for the Church, but should proceed independently against the alleged heretics, as well as by the royal threats of pressing the See also:accusation of heresy against the See also:late Boniface VIII. In pursuance of the king's wishes Clement summoned the See also:council of See also:Vienne (see VIENNE, COUNCIL or), which was 'unable to conclude that the Templars were guilty of heresy. The pope abolished the order, however, as it seemed to be in See also:bad repute and had outlived its usefulness. Its French estates were granted to the Hospitallers, but actually Philip IV. held them until his See also:death. In his relations to the See also:Empire Clement was an opportunist. He refused to use his full See also:influence in favour of the candidacy of See also:Charles of See also:Valois, brother of Philip IV., lest France became too powerful; and recognized See also:Henry of See also:Luxemburg, whom his representatives crowned See also:emperor at the Lateran in 1312. When Henry, however, came into conflict with See also:Robert of See also:Naples, Clement supported Robert and threatened the emperor with See also:ban See also:ana See also:interdict. But the crisis passed with the unexpected death of Henry, soon followed by that of the pope on the 20th of See also:April 1314 at Roquemaure-sur-See also:Rhone. Though the See also:sale of offices and oppressive See also:taxation which disgraced his pontificate may in See also:part be explained by the desperate See also:condition of the papal finances and by his saving up See also:gold for a crusade, nevertheless he indulged in unbecoming pomp. Showing favouritism towardhis family and his nation, he brought untold disaster on the Church.

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