John XXII

Pope, one of the most celebrated of the pontiffs of Avignon, whose family name was James de Cahors, was elected pope in 1316, on the death of Clement V. Attempting to carry out, in very altered circumstances, the vast and comprehensive policy of Gregory VII and Innocent III, John interposed his authority in the contest for the imperial crown in Germany between Louis of Bavaria and Frederick of Austria, by not only espousing the cause of the latter, but even excommunicating his rival. Public opinion, however, and the political relations of the papacy founded upon it, had already begun to change. The people of Germany opposed this policy, and encouraged the Diet of Frankfurt to ignore the papal action, and it was by this body declared that the imperial authority depended upon God alone, and that the pope had no temporal authority, direct or indirect, within the empire. A long contest ensued, which resulted in his deposition. (See below.) In Italy also he experienced much trouble. The Guelphs or papal party, led by Robert, king of Naples, defeated the Ghibellines, and the pope excommunicated Matteo Visconti, the great leader of that party, and likewise Frederick, king of Sicily. Between Guelphs and Ghibellines, Italy was at that time in a dreadful state of confusion. The pope preached a crusade against Visconti, Cane della Scala, and the Este, as heretics. Robert, with the assistance of the pope, aspired to the dominion of all Italy, and the pope sent a legate, who, at the head of an army, assisted Robert and the other Guelphs against the Ghibellines of Lombardy. But the Ghibellines had clever leaders; Castruccio Castracani, Cane della Scala, and the Visconti kept the fate of the war in suspense until Louis of Bavaria sent troops to their assistance. In 1327 Louis finally came himself to Italy, and, after being crowned at Milan with the iron crown, proceeded to Rome, where the people roused in his favor, drove away the papal legate, and caused Louis to be crowned emperor in St. Peter's by the bishops of Venice and of Aleria. After the coronation, Louis held an assembly in the square before the church, in. which he summoned John under his original name, James of Cahors, to appear to answer the charges of heresy and high treason against him. After this mock citation, the emperor proceeded to depose the pope, and to appoint in his stead Peter de Corvara, a monk of Abruzzo, who assumed the name of Nicholas V. Louis also proclaimed a law, which was sanctioned by the people of Rome, to the effect that the pope should reside at Rome, and, if absent more than three months, should be considered as deposed. These measures, however, were attended with little result. Louis returned to Germany, and the Guelphic predominance at Rome was restored, the papal representative resuming his authority. But John XXII never personally visited Rome, having died at Avignon in 1334, when he had accumulated in his coffers the enormous sum of 18,000,000 florins of gold. John is renowned in theological history as the author of that portion of the canon law called the Extravagantes, and also for the singular opinion he entertained that the just will not be admitted to the beatific vision until after the general resurrection. This opinion he was obliged formally to retract before his death (see Reichel, Roman See in the Middle Ages, p. 421). Under his pontificate the clergy and people of the towns were deprived of the right of electing their bishops, which right he reserved to himself on payment of certain fees by the person elected. He was especially rapacious in the collection of the Annates, or First Fruits. See Bower, History of the Popes, 6, 413 sq.; Labbe, 15, 147; English Cyclopoedia, s.v.