Avignon Papacy

to the outbreak of the Black Death (1349-353). He received his Doctorate of Divinity in 1372. By 1371 Oxford had gained a reputation as the leading school of theological and philosophical studies, and Wycliffe stood out for his intellect and reasoning. Much of Wycliffe’s adult life was influenced by the Avignon papacy controversy; which began in 1309 when the French Pope Clement V chose the city of Avignon for the seat of the papacy instead of Rome. It remained in France under…

In 1305, Philip IV convinced the body of Cardinals to appoint a French archbishop as the new pope. Clement V, the recently appointed pope, moved from Rome to the city of Avignon in France. The transfer to Avignon exceedingly enfeebled the Church. When reformers eventually attempted to relocate the papacy back to Rome, yet, the outcome was surprisingly severe. In 1378, Pope Gregory XI passed away while paying a visit to Rome. The body of Cardinals then gathered in Rome to select an inheritor. The…

well as a new economy. Disease is extremely important in changing the course of history. Disease can wipe out massive amounts of people, and cause chaos and destruction, but also pave the way for a new age, such as the Renaissance, which followed the Black Death. Disease can exploit the flaws in our society and cause us to improve our way of living. Boniface did not approve of the clergy being taxed by the king. The King of England did not let them be heard in the royal court. Because of this…

Francesco Petrarch was born in Arezzo 20 July, 1304 and died in Arquá 19 July, 1374. Writer, poet and humanist he played a very important role in the development of Italian poetry. Son of a Florentine notary exiled for political motives, at a very young age Petrarch had to move from place to place. They first moved from city to city in Tuscany and then to Avignon, France. At the same time, from 1309 to 1377, the Papacy was in Avignon. Living in the suburbs of this French city, Petrarch was…

organizational structure controlled by the papacy; however, later in the eleventh century, the church became the most influential institution in Western Europe. The period of the papacy’s ultimate power, the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, reached its peak with the pontificate of Innocent III, who exercised his influence over kings and princes without challenge. The church then seemed irrefutable in its prestige, dignity, and power. Clegg & Reed said “Yet that strength quickly came under new…

saw their power decline. In the 13th century, under Innocent III, the papacy reached the height of its power. However, when Boniface VIII became pope, he was involved in a series of struggles with the kings of both England and France. After Boniface, no pope challenged secular power as strongly as they had previously. Then, in 1309, with papal authority in the hands of strong governments, the French moved the head of the Church to Avignon. There, with Clement V as pope, the French had a heavy…

In the high middle ages, Europeans celebrated a number of victories. The increased lay religiousness created a widespread sense of scholasticism. New roads and bridges were being built in Europe to make trade easier. The expansion of the European economy in the 13th and 14th centuries lead to an increased prosperity--- shifting interest and focus on what was becoming a new middle, merchant class. This emphasis on a newly-powerful group of people, though, was a catch-22. The medieval papacy,…

Theologians found it extraordinary that Catherine had great wisdom in her replies to the theologians’ questions. Catherine of Siena was followed around by what we call nowadays, a paparazzi. She was asked questions in Avignon, Genoa, and, of course, Siena. Having the wisdom that she did, Catherine achieved an outstanding position for a woman of her time. Catherine had her own beliefs about every single thing, so she would persuade people with her own beliefs. Considering her reasons to be…

Thomas Aquinas was a 13th century philosopher, theologian, logician. He became the driving force behind the Catholic church during the Scholastic movement. The church would often use Aquinas to defend the church in scholarly settings, and used his writings to teach incoming priests. During his time of writing one of his most famous works, Summa Theologica, the seventh crusade was coming to an end. This was also at a time where the Papacy was struggling to spread their claim farther and farther…

There had been many major events that led to the rise and fall of the papacy. These major events have demonstrated the church’s rise to power and descent. The rise, peak, and fall started with the Showdown at Canossa, the Great Schism, and the Church control during the Middle Ages. The Church and Charlemagne’s relationship had helped demonstrate the rise of power for the church. This is because before a battle, Charlemagne had prayed to God for a successful win. Charlemagne had won the battle…