Synopses & Reviews
Clement V, the first 'Avignon' pope, led the Church during nine critical years, 1305-14. Elected two years after the outrage committed upon Boniface VIII at Anagni, Clement saw as his main goal the restoration of harmonious relations with the leading monarchs of Christendom. In achieving his aim, he paved the way for the Church in the modern period. This book provides the first complete analysis of Clement's pontificate from the two complementary viewpoints offered by diplomatic documentation and by narrative sources. Their point of convergence validates a re-evaluation of the Avignon 'Babylonian captivity' of the papacy. As a result, Clement's pontificate no longer appears as a shameful surrender to Capetian interests. Rather, it demonstrates a consistent scale of priorities, among which the recovery of the Holy Land was accorded pre-eminence.
Synopsis
The fourteenth century heralded a new stage in the history of the Church, when papal rule was forced to find new patterns of cooperation with emerging national states. The Avignon pontificate of Clement V (1305-14) found a compromise among conflicting interests, and thus paved the way for the Church in the modern era. In contrast to the characterization of the Avignon period as the "Babylonian captivity" of the papacy, this book offers a new evaluation of Clement's reign, the goals of papal policy, and its evaluation by contempories.
Synopsis
A re-evaluation of the reign of the 'Avignon' pope Clement V (1305 14).
Table of Contents
Foreword; Introduction; 1. Clement V; 2. Church policy; 3. Crusade and mission; 4. Italy; 5. France; 6. England; 7. The council of Vienne and the Clementinae; Conclusions; Bibliography.