Who Was Pope Clement V?
Pope Clement V (c. 1260–1314), born Raymond Bertrand de Got (also spelled de Gôt), was the pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 1305 to 1314. He was the first of the Avignon popes, and his reign is most remembered for the suppression of the Knights Templar in 1312. Clement was a Frenchman, and he was politically dependent on the French king, Philip IV, who was the principal force behind the destruction of the Order.
This article is a brief biography of Clement V. It is a companion to The Trial and Suppression of the Knights Templar and to Who Was Philip IV of France?.
Early Life
Clement was born around 1260 in Villandraut, in the Gascony region of southwestern France, into a noble family. The de Got family was a powerful one, and several of its members held important ecclesiastical positions. Clement was educated at the University of Toulouse, where he studied canon law and theology.
In 1295, Clement was appointed Bishop of Comminges, in southwestern France. In 1300, he was promoted to the archbishopric of Bordeaux, one of the most important sees in France. As Archbishop of Bordeaux, he became a vassal of the English king, Edward I, since Bordeaux was then under English rule.
The Conclave of 1305
The papal conclave of 1305 was one of the most controversial in the history of the papacy. The previous pope, Benedict XI, had died in 1304, after a brief pontificate, and the College of Cardinals was deeply divided between the French and the Italian factions.
The conclave was held in Perugia, Italy, in June 1305. The conclave lasted for 11 months, the longest in the history of the papacy, and it was conducted in conditions of intense political pressure. The French faction, supported by King Philip IV of France, eventually prevailed, and Clement was elected on June 5, 1305.
The election was controversial, and the Italian faction refused to recognize Clement for several months. Clement was eventually crowned in Lyon on November 14, 1305, in a ceremony that was boycotted by the Italian cardinals.
The Move to Avignon
Clement’s first major decision was the move of the papal court to Avignon, in southeastern France. The move was, in part, a response to the political chaos in Italy, where the Holy Roman Empire and the Kingdom of Naples were in conflict. The move was also, in part, a response to pressure from Philip IV of France, who wanted the Pope to reside in France.
Clement settled in Avignon in 1309, and the papacy remained there until 1377. The period of the Avignon Papacy (1309–1377) was one of the most controversial in the history of the papacy, and it was a major factor in the Western Schism of 1378.
The Suppression of the Templars
Clement’s most consequential act was the suppression of the Knights Templar in 1312. The story of the suppression is told in detail in The Trial and Suppression of the Knights Templar and in The Trial of Jacques de Molay.
Clement’s role in the suppression was complex. He was personally not hostile to the Templars — he had been a supporter of the Order in the past, and he had been educated in a region where the Templars had close ties. He was, however, politically dependent on Philip IV of France, and he was deeply reluctant to confront the French king.
Clement’s main interventions in the trial were:
- The bull Pastoralis praeminentiae (November 1307), which suspended the inquisitorial process in France and transferred the trial to the papacy.
- The Chinon hearing (August 1308), in which Clement personally absolved the leaders of the Order of the charge of heresy. The story of the hearing. See The Chinon Parchment.
- The Council of Vienne (1311–1312), at which the Order was formally suppressed.
- The bull Vox in Excelso (March 22, 1312), the formal act of suppression.
- The bull Ad providam (March 22, 1312), transferring the Order’s assets to the Hospitallers.
The bulls are examined in detail in The Papal Suppression: Vox in Excelso.
The Cursing of Philip and the Death of Clement
According to the famous legend of the last Grand Master, Jacques de Molay, while being burned at the stake on March 18, 1314, summoned both Philip and Clement to appear before the judgment of God within the year. The prophecy was, in fact, fulfilled with remarkable precision:
- Clement V died on April 20, 1314, barely a month after de Molay’s execution. The cause of his death is unclear, although it may have been related to a chronic illness.
- Philip IV died on November 29, 1314, seven months after de Molay.
The story of the prophecy. See The Trial of Jacques de Molay.
Clement’s Legacy
Clement’s legacy is mixed. He was a capable administrator and a moderate reformer, and he made some important contributions to the centralization of the papal government. He was, however, deeply compromised by his political dependence on Philip IV of France, and his role in the destruction of the Templars was a major blot on his reputation.
The most important consequences of his pontificate were:
- The Avignon Papacy: The move of the papacy to Avignon began a period of French domination of the papacy that lasted until 1377.
- The destruction of the Templars: The suppression of the Order was one of the most consequential acts of the medieval papacy.
- The bull Vox in Excelso: The bull set a precedent for the use of papal authority to suppress religious orders. The precedent was invoked again in 1773, when Clement XIV suppressed the Jesuits.
- The Western Schism: The French domination of the papacy, which began under Clement, was a major factor in the Western Schism of 1378.
Conclusion
Pope Clement V was the French pope who suppressed the Knights Templar in 1312. He was a capable administrator, but he was politically dependent on King Philip IV of France, and he was unable or unwilling to resist the French king’s campaign against the Order. His pontificate marked the beginning of the Avignon Papacy, and it had a major impact on the history of the medieval Church. The story of the suppression. See The Trial and Suppression of the Knights Templar.