Pope John XXII

Pope John XXII, born Jacques Dueze was pope from August 7, 1316 c.e. to his death in 1334 c.e. He was the second Avignon pope elected by a conclave in Lyon assembled by King Louis X's brother Philip, the Court of Poitiers, later King Philip V of France. Like his predecessor, Clement V, he centralized power and income in the papacy and lived a princely life in Avignon. He opposed the political policies of Louis IV of Bavaria as Holy Roman Emperor which prompted Louis to invade Italy and set up an anti-pope, Nicholas V. Pope John XXII faced controversy in theology involving his views on the "Beatific Vision" and he opposed the Franciscan understanding of the poverty of Christ and his apostles. He canonized St. Thomas Aquinas, the son of a shoemaker in Cahors. Jacques Dueze studied medicine in Montpellier, and law in Paris, yet could not read a regal letter written to him in French. Dueze taught both canon and civil law at Toulouse and Cahors on the recommendation of Charles II of Naples. He was made Bishop of Frejus in 1300 c.e. In 1309 c.e. he was appointed Chancellor of Charles II and in 1310 c.e. he was transferred to Avignon. He delivered legal opinions favorable to the suppression of the Templars but he also defended Boniface VIII and the bull "unam sanctam." On December 23, 1312 c.e. Clement V made him Cardinal Bishop of Porto-Santa Rufina. The death of Pope Clement V in 1314 c.e. was followed by an interregnum of two years due to disagreements between Cardinals who were split into two factions. After two years Philip, in 1316 c.e. finally managed to arrange a papal conclave of twenty-three Cardinals in Lyon. This conclave elected Dueze who took the name, John XXII, and was crowned in Lyon. He set up residence in Avignon rather than Rome, continuing the Avignon papacy of his predecessor. John XXII involved himself in the politics and religious movements of many European countries in order to advance the interests of the church. His close links with the French Crown created widespread distrust of the papacy. Pope John XXII was an excellent administrator and efficient at reorganizing the church. He had sent a letter of thanks to the Muslim ruler, Uzbeg Khan, who was very tolerant of Christians and treated Christians kindly. John XXII has traditionally been credited with having composed the prayer "Anima Christi" which has become the English "Soul of Christ, sanctify me... and the basis for the hymn, Soul of Christ...sanctify my breast." On March 27, 1329 c.e. John XXII condemned many writings of Meister Eckhart as heretical in his papal bull "In Agro Dominico." Prior to John XXII's election a contest had begun for the Holy Roman Empire's crown between Louis IV of Bavaria and Frederick I of Austria. John XXII was neutral at first but in 1323 c.e., when Louis IV became Holy Roman Emperor the Guelph (papal) party and the Ghibelline (imperial) party quarreled which was partly provoked by John XXII's extreme claims of authority over the Empire and partly by Louis IV's support of the spiritual Franciscan's whom John XXII condemned in the papal bull "Quorumdam exigit." Louis IV was assisted in his doctrinal dispute with the papacy by Marsilius of Padua and later by the English Franciscan friar and scholar William of Ockham. Louis IV invaded Italy, entered Rome, and set up Pietro Rainalducci as anti-pope, Nicholas V in 1328 c.e. The project was a fiasco. Guelphic predominance at Rome was later restored and Pope John excommunicated William of Ockham. However, Louis IV had silenced the papal claims and John XXII stayed the rest of his life in Avignon. Pope John XXII was determined to suppress what he considered to be the excesses of the spirituals who contended eagerly for the view that Christ and his apostles had possessed absolutely nothing, citing "Exiit qui seminat" in support of their view. In 1317 c.e. John XXII formally condemned the group of them known as the Fraticelli. On March 26, 1322 c.e. with "quia nonnunquam" he removed the ban on discussion of Nicholas III's bull and commissioned experts to examine the idea of poverty based on belief that Christ and his apostles owned nothing. The experts disagreed among themselves, but the majority condemned the idea on the grounds that it would condemn the church's right to have possessions. The Franciscan chapter held in Perugiain, May 1322 c.e. declared on the contrary: "To say or assert that Christ, in showing the way of perfection, and the apostles in following that way and setting an example to others who wished to lead the perfect life, possessed nothing either severally or in common, either by right of ownership and dominium or by personal right. We corporately and unanimously declare to be not heretical, but true and Catholic." By the bull " Ad conditorem canonum" of December 8, 1322 c.e. John XXII declared it ridiculous to pretend that every scrap of food given to the Friars and eaten by them belonged to the pope, refused to accept ownership over the goods of the Franciscans in future and granted them exemption from the rule that absolutely forbade ownership of anything, even in common, thus forcing them to accept ownership. On November 12, 1323 c.e. he issued the bull "Quum inter nonnullos" which declared erroneous and heretical the doctrine that Christ and his apostles had no possessions whatsoever. Influential members of the Order protested such as: The Minister General Michael of Cesena, the English Provincial William of Ockham, and Bonagratia of Bergamo. In 1324 c.e. Louis the Bavarian sided with the spirituals and accused the pope of heresy. In reply to the argument of his opponents he said that Nicholas III's bull "Exiit qui seminat" was fixed and irrevocable. John XXII issued the bull "Quia Quorundam" on November 10, 1324 c.e. in which he declared that it can not be inferred from the words of the 1279 c.e. bull that Christ and the apostles had nothing, adding: "Indeed it can be inferred rather that the gospel life lived by Christ and the apostles did not exclude some possessions in common, since living without property does not require that those living thus should have nothing in common." In 1328 c.e. Michael of Cesena was summoned to Avignon to explain the Order's intransigence in refusing the pope's orders and its complicity with Louis of Bavaria. Michael was imprisoned in Avignon together with Francesco d' Ascoli, Bonagratia and William of Ockham. In January of that year Louis entered Rome and had himself crowned Holy Roman Emperor. Three months later he declared John XXII deposed and installed the spiritual Franciscan Pietro Rainalducci as pope. The Franciscan chapter that opened in Bologna on May 28 reelected Michael of Cesena, who two days before had escaped with his companions from Avignon. In August, Louis the Bavarian and his pope had to flee Rome before an attack by Robert, King of Naples. Only a small part of the Franciscan Order joined the opponents of John XXII and at a general chapter held in Paris in 1329 c.e. the majority of all houses declared their submission to the Pope. With the bull "Quia vir reprobus" of November 16, 1329 c.e. John XXII replied to Michael of Cesena's attacks on "Ad conditorem canonum," "Quun inter nonnullos," and "Quia quorundam." In 1330 c.e. anti-pope, Nicholas V submitted, followed later by ex-general, Michael, and finally just before his death, by Ockham. Pope John XXII was involved in a theological controversy concerning the "Beatific Vision." Even before he was pope, John XXII argued that those who died in the faith did not see the presence of God until the last judgement. He continued this argument for a time in sermons while he was pope although he never taught it in official documents. He eventually backed down from his position and agreed that those who died in grace do indeed immediately enjoy the "Beatific Vision." Despite holding for many years a view widely held to be heretical John XXII is not considered a heretic because the doctrine he had contradicted had not been formally defined by the church until his successor, Benedict XII, addressed by the encyclical "Benedictus Deus" which formally defined this doctrine as part of church teaching.