Pope Benedict XII

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Third of theAvignonpopes, b. at Saverdun in the province ofToulouse,France, elected 20 December, 1334; d. atAvignon 24 April, 1342. Nothing isknown of his parentage or boyhood. In youth he became aCistercianmonk in themonastery of Boulbonne, whence he moved to that of Fontfroide, whoseabbot was his natural uncle, Arnold Novelli, by whose name Fournier was also known. He studied at theUniversity of Paris, where he received the doctorate intheology. Meantime he was madeAbbot of Fontfroide, succeeding his uncle who was createdcardinal 19 December, 1310. In December 1317, he becameBishop of his native Diocese of Palmiers, was translated to Mirepoix 26 January, 1327, and was madecardinal byPope John XXII, 18 December, 1327. On the latter's death, 4 December, 1334, thecardinals inconclave, most of whom opposed a return toRome, demanded of Cardinal de Comminges whose election seemed assured, the promise to remain atAvignon. His refusal precipitated an unexpected canvass for candidates. On the first ballot, 20 December, 1334, many electors, intending to sound the mind of theconclave, voted for the unlikely Cardinal Fournier, who, though he was one of the few men of real merit in the college, was but lightly regarded because of his obscure origin and lack of wealth and following. He amazed theconclave by receiving thenecessary two-thirds vote. On 8 January, 1335, he wasenthroned as Benedict XII.

Resolved to re-establish thepapacy atRome, Benedict signalized his accession by providing for the restoration of St. Peter's basilica and the Lateran. He was prepared to acquiesce in the petition of a Roman deputation soliciting his return, but hiscardinals pictured the impossibility of living in faction-rentItaly. They were right, whatever were their motives, and Benedict yielded. Conscience-stricken during a critical illness, he proposed as a compromise a transfer of his court to Bologna. Thecardinals urged the slender hope of securing obedience, and Benedict decided to remain atAvignon, where in 1339 he commenced to build the massivepapal castle which still exists. Mindful always of distractedItaly, he often sent money to succour the famine-stricken people and to restore churches. Reform of abuse was Benedict's chief concern. Immediately after his elevation he remanded to theirbeneficesclerics not needed atAvignon, and menaced with summary chastisement violators of thelaw of residence. He revoked thescandalous "expectances" granted by his predecessors and forbade conferringbeneficesin commendam. (SeeC A.) He condemned unseemly "pluralities" and conferredbenefices with such conscientious discrimination that several were left long vacant, and so gave colour to thecalumny that he was himself harvesting their revenues. He inveighed vigorously againstgreed for gain amongecclesiastics; regulated the taxes on documents issued bypapal bureaux; made episcopal visitation less of a financial burden to theclergy; abolished the practice of countersigning requests forpapal favours, which was extremely lucrative to venal officials; and established the Registry of Supplications for the control of such petitions. Abhorring nepotism, he granted preferment to but one relative, naming the eminent John BauzianArchbishop of Arles in deference to the insistence of thecardinals; he compelled his only niece to discourage noble suitors, and marry one of her ownhumble rank. A legend, vouched for byÆgidius of Viterbo (d. 1532), accredits him with saying, "apope should be likeMelchisedech, without father, mother, or genealogy". Monastic reform particularly engaged hiszeal. Himself aCistercian, he sought to revive pristine monastic fervour and devotion to study. Pertinent papal constitutions and visitations ofmonasteries attest his solicitude for a monastic renaissance.

Being a learnedtheologian, he was asbishop,cardinal, andpope, keenly interested in scholastic discussions. He terminated the controversy on the vexed question as to whether theBeatific Vision was enjoyed before or only after the General Judgment.John XXII had advocated the latter view and stirred up vigorous discussion. Eager to solve the question, Benedict heard the opinions of those maintaining the theory of deferred vision, and, with a commission oftheologians, gave four months to patristic research. Their labours terminated in the proclamation (29 January, 1336) of theBull "Benedictus Deus" defining theimmediate intuitive vision of God by thesouls of the just having no faults to expiate. Zealous too for the preservation of the Faith, he stimulated thebishops of infected districts to vigilance in the repression ofheresy and urged the use of the preventive remedies of theInquisition. He combatted energetically the anti-papal doctrines which the ecclesiastico- political theorists of the disturbedAvignon period had spread, and which were unfortunately sustained by aschool of misguidedFranciscans. (SeeF, M P,W O,M C.) Distressed by disloyalty inIreland, he tried to persuadeEdward III to establish theInquisition in his realm and urged him to assist theIrishbishops to extirpateheresy. But, though the most ardent foe ofheresy, Benedict was remarkably patient and loving in dealing withheretics. He looked also to the union of theEastern Church withRome through a delegate of the Emperor Andronicus, whose sincerity, however, Benedict was forced to question; manifested his solicitude for theChurch inArmenia which, in the early fourteenth century, suffered fromMohammedan invasions, succouring the unfortunates in temporal matters and healingdoctrinal differences which had long rentArmenia withschism.

In purelyecclesiastical affairs Benedict's pontificate was creditable to himself and productive of good to theChurch. Pious, prudent, and firm, he strove conscientiously to meet theChurch's needs at a critical period. In political relations, however, he was not so successful. Inexperienced in politics, he had little taste for diplomacy and an imperfectknowledge of men and affairs of the world. Conflicting political motives confused him, and hesitancy and vacillation contrasted painfully with his firmness and decision inecclesiastical matters. Though determined to act independently of Philip VI ofFrance, the latter generally succeeded in committing thepope to his policy. He helped to prevent his return toRome. He frustrated his desire to make peace with the Emperor Louis ofBavaria whomJohn XXII hadexcommunicated for fomenting sedition inItaly, proclaiming himself King of the Romans, and intruding anantipope. Willing to absolve him should he but submit to theChurch, Benedict exposed to Louis's delegates his generous terms of peace (July, 1335). But Philip, aided by thecardinals, persuaded thepope that his generosity encouragedheresy and rebellion. Benedict yielded. Thrice the imperial envoys came toAvignon, but French influence prevailed, and, on 11 April, 1337, Benedict declared it impossible to absolve Louis. The latter, as Benedict feared, allied himself withEdward III ofEngland againstFrance. In vain thepope tried to avertwar, but he was no match for the kings and their allies. His good offices were spurned; and he was humiliated by Philip's later alliance with Louis, who had also allied to himself thepope's political andecclesiastical enemies, and by the emperor's denial of thepope's authority over him, and, worst insult of all, by his usurpation ofpapal power in declaring the nullity of the marriage of John Henry ofBohemia and Margaret Maultasch, that the latter might marry his son, Louis of Brandenburg. The French king hindered Benedict's projectedcrusade against the infidels, making thewar withEngland an excuse to forego his promise to lead the armies, and even diverting the money subscribed for it to financing his ownwars, despite the protests of the conscientiouspope. Benedict'scrusading ardour found solace inSpain, where he encouraged the campaign against theMohammedans who in 1339 invaded the peninsula.

Benedict XII has not escapedcalumny. Reformer, foe ofheresy, builder of theAvignonpapal palace, unwilling ally ofFrance and enemy ofGermany, he made many enemies whose misrepresentations have inspired most non-Catholic appreciations of his character. Much harm was done to his memory by the satires ofPetrarch, who, though befriended andhonoured by Benedict, yet bitterly resented his failure to return toRome. His natural obesity, too, stimulated caricature and undeserved criticism. But history offers a vindication and testifies that, though he failed to cope successfully with the political difficulties to which he fell heir, hispiety,virtue, and pacific spirit, hisjustice, rectitude, and firmness in ruling, hiszeal fordoctrinal and moral reform, and his integrity of character were above reproach.

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