Clement VI

Clement VI was the fourth pope of the Avignon papacy, reigning from 1342 to 1352. He was born Pierre Roger in 1291 in Maumont, a castle in the region of Limousin, France. He came from a noble family and had two brothers and two sisters. His elder brother Guillaume became a lord and a viscount, while his younger brother Hugues became a cardinal. His sisters Delphine and Alienor married into other noble families. Pierre entered the Benedictine order as a boy and studied theology and canon law at the University of Paris. He became a renowned scholar and teacher, and was appointed as abbot of several monasteries, bishop of Arras, archbishop of Sens, and archbishop of Rouen. He was also the chancellor of France under King Philip VI, who was his cousin. In 1338, he was created cardinal by Pope Benedict XII, whom he succeeded as pope in 1342. As pope, Clement VI faced many challenges, such as the Hundred Years' War between France and England, the conflict with the Holy Roman Emperor Louis IV, the schism with the Orthodox Church, and the outbreak of the Black Death. He tried to maintain peace and diplomacy among the Christian rulers, and to assert his authority over the temporal affairs of the church. He also reformed the papal curia, creating new offices and appointing many cardinals from his own family and country. He was a generous patron of the arts and culture, inviting many artists, musicians, and scholars to his court in Avignon. He also defended the Jews from persecution and violence during the plague, granting them protection and remission of sins. Clement VI died in 1352 after a short illness. He was buried at the Abbey of La Chaise-Dieu, where he had been a monk in his youth. He was succeeded by his former secretary, Cardinal Etienne Aubert, who took the name Innocent VI.