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Pope John XXII
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| Columbia Encyclopedia: John XXII |
John XXII, 1244-1334, pope (1316-34), a Frenchman (b. Cahors) named Jacques Duèse; successor of Clement V. Formerly, he was often called John XXI. He reigned at Avignon. John was celebrated as a canon lawyer under Boniface VIII, whom he supported. After the death of Clement there was a period of more than two years before the conclave could agree. Before John's election a contest had begun for the title of Holy Roman Emperor between Louis IV of Bavaria and his rival, Frederick of Austria. John was neutral at first; then in 1323, when Louis had won and became Holy Roman emperor, pope and emperor began a serious quarrel. This was partly provoked by John's extreme claims of authority over the empire and partly by Louis's support of the spiritual Franciscans, whom John XXII condemned for their insistence on evangelical poverty. Louis was assisted by Marsilius of Padua, who in 1324 published his exposition of his theories Defensor pacis, and later by William of Ockham. The emperor invaded Italy and set up (1328) as an antipope Pietro Rainalducci (as Nicholas V). The project was a fiasco, but Louis silenced the papal claims. In John's last years he advanced a theory concerning the vision of God in heaven or the beatific vision; the novelty he proposed (that this vision will begin only after the Last Judgment) was widely denied and scorned by theologians, and John subsequently modified it. He was an excellent administrator and did much efficient reorganizing. He was succeeded by Benedict XII.
| Occultism & Parapsychology Encyclopedia: Pope John XXII |
(ca. 1244-1334)
Jacques Duèse, subsequently Pope John XXII, was born at Cahors, France. His parents were affluent, and it has even been suggested that they belonged to the nobility. Jacques was educated first at a Dominican priory in his native village and afterward at Montpellier. He then proceeded to Paris, where he studied both law and medicine.
Leaving the Sorbonne, Duèse was still at a loss as to what profession to follow, but, chancing to become intimate with Bishop Louis (a son of Charles II, king of Naples) the young man decided to enter the church, doubtless prompted to this step by the conviction that his new friend's influence would help him advance in his clerical career.
The future pontiff was not disappointed, for in the year 1300, at the request of the Neapolitan sovereign, he was elevated to the episcopal see of Fréjus, then in 1308 he was appointed chancellor of Naples. He soon showed himself a man of no mean ability in ecclesiastical affairs. In 1310 Pope Clement V summoned him to Avignon, anxious to consult him on the question of the legality of suppressing the Templars and also on whether to condemn the memory of Boniface VIII. Duèse was in favor of suppressing the Templars but rejected condemnation of Boniface. In 1312 Duèse was made bishop of Porto, and four years later was elected to the pontifical crown and scepter as Pope John XXII.
From that time on he lived at Avignon, but his life was by no means a quiet or untroubled one. Early in his papacy the throne of Germany became vacant. Louis of Bavaria and Frederick of Austria both contended for it, and Pope John offended many by supporting Frederick. Later he raised a storm by preaching a somewhat unorthodox sermon purporting that the souls of those who die in a state of grace go straight into Abraham's bosom and do not enjoy the beatific vision of the Lord until after the Resurrection and the Last Judgment. This doctrine was hotly opposed by many clerics, notably Thomas of England, who had the courage to preach against it openly at Avignon. So great was the disfavor Pope John incurred that for several years after his death he was widely regarded as the Antichrist.
Pope John was frequently accused of avarice, and it is true that he made stupendous efforts to raise money, imposing numerous taxes unheard of before his papacy. He manifested considerable ingenuity in that regard, and so the tradition that he dabbled in hermetic philosophy (alchemy) may be founded on fact. He did issue a stringent bull against alchemists, but it was directed against the charlatans of the craft, not against those who were seeking the philosophers' stone with real earnestness and with the aid of scientific knowledge.
The pope may have introduced this mandate to silence those who had charged him with the practice of alchemy himself. Whatever his reason, it is probable that he believed in magic and was interested in science. His belief in magic is indicated by his bringing a charge of sorcery against Géraud, bishop of Cahors. Pope John's scientific predilections are evident from his keeping a laboratory in the palace at Avignon and spending much time there.
Doubtless some of this time was given to physiological and pathological studies, for various works of a medical nature are ascribed to Pope John XXII, in particular a collection of prescriptions, a treatise on diseases of the eye, and another on the formation of the fetus. But it may well be that the ativities in his laboratory also centered in some measure on alchemistic research. This theory is strengthened by the fact that Pope John was friends with Arnold de Villanova, famous physician, astrologer, and alchemist.
Among the writings attributed to Pope John XXII is the al-chemical work L'Elixir des philosophers, autrement L'art transmutatoire, published at Lyons in 1557.
When he died the pontiff left behind him a vast sum of money and a mass of priceless jewels. It was commonly asserted among the alchemists of the day that the money, jewels, and 200 huge ingots were all manufactured by the late pope. The story of the unbounded wealth amassed in this way gradually blossomed and bore fruit, and one of the pope's medieval biographers credited him with having concocted an enormous quantity of gold.
| Wikipedia: Pope John XXII |
See also: Pope John (numbering)
| John XXII | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Papacy began | August 7, 1316 |
| Papacy ended | December 4, 1334 |
| Predecessor | Clement V |
| Successor | Benedict XII |
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Jacques Duèze or d'Euse |
| Born | 1249 Cahors, France |
| Died | December 4, 1334 (85) Avignon, France |
| Other Popes named John | |
Pope John XXII (1249 – December 4, 1334), born Jacques Duèze (or d'Euse), was pope from 1316 to 1334. He was the second Pope of the Avignon Papacy (1309-1377), elected by a conclave in Lyon assembled by Philip V of France. Like his predecessor, Clement V, he centralized power and income in the Papacy, living a princely life in Avignon and spending a lot of money for his court and his wars[1]. He opposed Louis IV of Bavaria as emperor, and Louis in turn invaded Italy and set up an antipope, Nicholas V. Pope John XXII also faced controversy in theology involving his views on the Beatific Vision.
Contents |
Biography
The son of a shoemaker in Cahors, Jacques Duèze studied medicine in Montpellier and law in Paris.
The death of Pope Clement V in 1314 was followed by a sedisvacancy of two years, due to disagreements between the cardinals, who were split into two factions. After two years, Philip V of France (1316–22) finally in 1316 managed to arrange a conclave of twenty-three cardinals in Lyon. This conclave elected Jacques Duèze, who took the name John XXII and was crowned in Lyon. He set up his 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. This made him a very controversial pope at the time. Also his close links with the French crown created widespread distrust of the papacy.[2]
Before John XXII's election a contest had begun for the imperial crown between Louis IV of Bavaria (1314–47) and his opponent, Frederick I of Austria (1308–30). John XXII was neutral at first; but in 1323, when Louis IV had won and became Holy Roman Emperor, the Guelph (papal) party and the Ghibelline (imperial) party began a serious quarrel. This was partly provoked by John XXII's extreme claims of authority over the empire and also partly by Louis IV's support of the spiritual Franciscans, whom John XXII condemned for their insistence on evangelical poverty and their belief that mendicant friars would replace the priesthood and sacraments of the Church. Louis IV was assisted in his doctrinal dispute with the papacy by Marsilius of Padua, and later by the British Franciscan friar and scholar William of Ockham. Louis IV invaded Italy, entered Rome and set up Pietro Rainalducci as antipope Nicholas V (1328–30). 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 involved in a theological controversy involving the Beatific Vision. Beginning before he was pope, he argued that those who died in the faith did not see the presence of God until the Last Judgment. The point is important to Catholics, since if the dead are not in the presence of God, then the whole idea of prayers to the saints would seem to be undermined. John XXII continued this argument for a time in sermons while he was pope, although he never taught this 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 in his day the doctrine he had contradicted had not been formally defined by the Church, a lacuna that his successor, Pope Benedict XII (1334–42), immediately filled by the encyclical Benedictus Deus, which formally defined this doctrine as part of Church teaching.
Pope John XXII was also an excellent administrator and did much efficient reorganizing.
John XXII has traditionally been credited with having composed the prayer 'Anima Christi, sanctifica me...', which has come down to us in English as 'Soul of Christ, sanctify me...' and as the hymn, 'Soul of my Saviour, sanctify my breast'.
On March 27, 1329 John XXII condemned many writings of Meister Eckhart as heretical in his papal bull In Agro Dominico.[3]
Miscellaneous
He is frequently discussed in Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose, and is also featured in Maurice Druon's series of historical novels The Accursed Kings.
The previous pope named John was Pope John XXI. The last pope named John before that was Pope John XIX (1024–32), who was additionally really only the eighteenth pope named John.
Notes
- ^ http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08431a.htm
- ^ http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08431a.htm
- ^ Eckhart, Edmund Colledge, Bernard McGinn. (1981). Meister Eckhart, the Essential Sermons, Commentaries, Treatises, and Defense: The Essential Sermons, Commentaries, Treatises, and Defense. Paulist Press. 77. Preview viewed at Google Book Search.
References
- Patrick Nold, Pope John XXII and his Franciscan Cardinal: Bertrand de la Tour and the Apostolic Poverty Controversy (Oxford, 2003)
- Guillaume Mollat, The Popes at Avignon (Thomas Nelson and Sons, 1963), 9-25
External links
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| Preceded by Clement V |
Pope 1316–34 |
Succeeded by Benedict XII |
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Mentioned in
- Year 1317 (in Science & Technology)
- 1323 (chronology)
- Carpentras (city, France)
- declaration of Arbroath
- Pietro Rainalducci (Italian theologian)
- Marsilius of Padua (philosophy)
- Charles IV (king of France)
- Nicephorus Gregoras (Byzantine historian & theologian)
- Cahors (city, France)
- William of Occam
- Johannes von Hochheim Eckhart (philosophy)
- Johannes Tauler (German mystic)
- Sanz cuer/Amis, dolens/Dame, par vous, ballade for 3 voices (Classical Work)
- 1330 (chronology)
