Pope from May 7, 1342 - December 6, 1352
Lived: c. 1291 - December 6, 1352
Who was this guy before he was pope?
The second son of a French noble family, Pierre Roger entered the Benedictine monastery at La Chaise-Dieu at the young age of 10. He was particularly studious, and eventually earned his doctorate in Paris before going on to teach there. After meeting -- and apparently impressing -- Pope John XXII, Pierre was made Bishop of Arras in 1328, then Archbishop of Sens the following year, and finally Archbishop of Rouen in 1330. He was given a nice red hat by his predecessor, Benedict XII, in 1338, where he was also assigned the church of Santi Nereo e Achilleo.
Give me the scoop on Clement VI.
Pope Clement VI’s election was a bit of retaliation for Benedict XII not being favorable enough to the French. As soon as he was put in office on May 7, 1342, Clement started handing out appointments and gifts like candy, usually to his relatives. Of the 25 cardinals created by Clement during his reign, 12 of them would have been guests at his Thanksgiving dinner. Clement’s open favoritism toward France also made peace with England rather tenuous, but he at least was able to put to bed Louis of Bavaria’s troublemaking by having him deposed and installing the pope’s former student, Charles IV of Luxemburg.
Clement VI was a lover of the arts, so much so that he kept composers and music theorists on retainer, and held concerts in Avignon often. He was described by one historian as, “a fine gentleman, a prince munificent to profusion, a patron of the arts and learning, but no saint.” Clement died on December 6, 1352 of complications from kidney stones and a tumor.
What was he known for?
Despite rather rampant nepotism and an open bias toward French interests, Clement VI is perhaps best recognized for protecting the Jews at a time when many were being mercilessly killed. The Black Death had begun to spread rapidly throughout Europe, causing enough widespread casualties that Clement himself had to consecrate the entire Rhone River as holy ground for burial when cemetery space ran out.
When a cause for the plague wasn’t easily determined, many hostile groups blamed the Jews for poisoning the water supply. Clement sprung to action, saying (probably) “nobody picks on our older brothers,” casting their bull aside with two bulls of his own, proclaiming that those who believed such things were being “seduced by that liar, the Devil.” And there were no punches pulled that day.
Fun Fact: One of Clement’s more unusual acts was actually buying the city of Avignon. Perhaps anticipating that the city would be the papal residence for the indefinite future, he paid Queen Joanna of Naples 80,000 florins -- approximately $46,000 by conversion -- for Avignon’s sovereignty. Will that be cash or check?
What else was going on in the world at the time?
Charles University, the oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic, was founded in the year 1348. The school has been in continuous operation since its founding, making it one of the longest-running institutions in Europe.
Coming Monday...Pope Innocent VI
John, E. (1964). The Popes: A concise biographical history. New York: Hawthorn Books.
Lived: c. 1291 - December 6, 1352
Birth name: Pierre Roger (pronounced roe-JHAY)
The second son of a French noble family, Pierre Roger entered the Benedictine monastery at La Chaise-Dieu at the young age of 10. He was particularly studious, and eventually earned his doctorate in Paris before going on to teach there. After meeting -- and apparently impressing -- Pope John XXII, Pierre was made Bishop of Arras in 1328, then Archbishop of Sens the following year, and finally Archbishop of Rouen in 1330. He was given a nice red hat by his predecessor, Benedict XII, in 1338, where he was also assigned the church of Santi Nereo e Achilleo.
Give me the scoop on Clement VI.
Pope Clement VI’s election was a bit of retaliation for Benedict XII not being favorable enough to the French. As soon as he was put in office on May 7, 1342, Clement started handing out appointments and gifts like candy, usually to his relatives. Of the 25 cardinals created by Clement during his reign, 12 of them would have been guests at his Thanksgiving dinner. Clement’s open favoritism toward France also made peace with England rather tenuous, but he at least was able to put to bed Louis of Bavaria’s troublemaking by having him deposed and installing the pope’s former student, Charles IV of Luxemburg.
Clement VI was a lover of the arts, so much so that he kept composers and music theorists on retainer, and held concerts in Avignon often. He was described by one historian as, “a fine gentleman, a prince munificent to profusion, a patron of the arts and learning, but no saint.” Clement died on December 6, 1352 of complications from kidney stones and a tumor.
What was he known for?
Despite rather rampant nepotism and an open bias toward French interests, Clement VI is perhaps best recognized for protecting the Jews at a time when many were being mercilessly killed. The Black Death had begun to spread rapidly throughout Europe, causing enough widespread casualties that Clement himself had to consecrate the entire Rhone River as holy ground for burial when cemetery space ran out.
When a cause for the plague wasn’t easily determined, many hostile groups blamed the Jews for poisoning the water supply. Clement sprung to action, saying (probably) “nobody picks on our older brothers,” casting their bull aside with two bulls of his own, proclaiming that those who believed such things were being “seduced by that liar, the Devil.” And there were no punches pulled that day.
Fun Fact: One of Clement’s more unusual acts was actually buying the city of Avignon. Perhaps anticipating that the city would be the papal residence for the indefinite future, he paid Queen Joanna of Naples 80,000 florins -- approximately $46,000 by conversion -- for Avignon’s sovereignty. Will that be cash or check?
What else was going on in the world at the time?
Charles University, the oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic, was founded in the year 1348. The school has been in continuous operation since its founding, making it one of the longest-running institutions in Europe.
Coming Monday...Pope Innocent VI
SOURCES (and further reading)
John, E. (1964). The Popes: A concise biographical history. New York: Hawthorn Books.
Guruge, A. (2010). The Next Pope. New Hampshire: WOWNH
Pope Clement VI - http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04023a.htm
Pope Clement VI - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Clement_VI
1340s - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1340s
