Recent popes
Recent Popes, and their tenures:
- Pope John XXIII, 1958-1963
- Pope Paul VI, 1963-1978
- Pope John Paul I, 1978
- Pope John Paul II, 1978-2005
- Pope Benedict XVI, 2005-2013[5]
- Pope Francis, 2013-2025
- Pope Leo XIV, 2025-Present
The Popes in Avignon
During parts of the Middle Ages, the French kings had a lot of influence in Europe. For this reason, seven popes (and two anti-popes) lived in Avignon, rather than Rome. The Avignon Papacy was from 1309 to 1377. During that time, the popes were known for their greed and corruption.[6] These popes were allies of France; the enemies of France were also their enemies.[7]
The Bishops of Rome who lived in Avignon were:
- Pope Clement V: 1305–1314
- Pope John XXII: 1316–1334
- Pope Benedict XII: 1334–1342
- Pope Clement VI: 1342–1352
- Pope Innocent VI: 1352–1362
- Pope Urban V: 1362–1370
- Pope Gregory XI: 1370–1378
Two antipopes were based in Avignon as well:
- Clement VII: 1378–1394
- Benedict XIII: 1394–1423 (expelled from Avignon in 1403)
Antipopes were people that were elected by small groups who did not like the official choice. Catherine of Siena convinced pope Gregory XI to move back to Rome. Unfortunately, he died shortly after moving. The cardinals then elected Urban VI to be the next pope. The French cardinals did not recognise this election as legitimate. They declared the papal see as vacant; which led to the Western Schism. The schism lasted until the Council of Constance in 1417. During this time, there was a pope in Rome, an Antipope in Avignon, and for some time, a second antipope. Each of the three was recognised as legitimate pope by different European powers. This led to a big split in the church as a whole. The council elected Pope Martin V as a new pope, recognised by all parties.
Related pages
References
- ↑ Wilken, p. 281. "Some (Christian communities) had been founded by Peter, the disciple Jesus designated as the founder of his church. ... Once the position was institutionalized, historians looked back and recognized Peter as the first Pope of the Christian church in Rome."
- ↑ Thomas J. Reese, Inside the Vatican: The Politics and Organization of the Catholic Church (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1996), p. 10
- ↑ Herald, The Catholic (2011-02-05). "Pope cannot be organ donor, Vatican official says". Catholic Herald. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
- ↑ "Pope," 'Catholic Encyclopedia (2009); retrieved 2013-4-1.
- ↑ Lizzy Davies. "Pope Benedict XVI resigns," Guardian UK). 11 February 2013; retrieved 2013-2-11.
- ↑ Durant, Will. The Reformation. New York: Simon and Schuster. 1957. "Chapter I. The Roman Catholic Church." 1300-1517. p. 3-25
- ↑ Durant, Will. The Reformation. New York: Simon and Schuster. 1957. "Chapter II. England: Wyclif, Chaucer, and the Great Revolt." 1308-1400. p. 26-57
Other websites
Media related to Popes at Wikimedia Commons
