Gregory XI

Gregory XI was the last French pope and the last of the Avignonese popes, when Avignon was the papal seat from 1309 to 1377. He reigned from 1370 to 1378. He was the nephew of Pope Clement VI, who made him a cardinal in 1348. He was a skilled canonist and theologian, and he served as a papal legate in Italy and Spain. He was elected pope after the death of Pope Urban V, who had tried to return the papacy to Rome but failed. Gregory XI faced many challenges during his pontificate, such as the Hundred Years' War between France and England, the papal schism with the antipope Clement VII, the reform movement led by Catherine of Siena and Bridget of Sweden, and the revolt of the Florentines against the papal authority. He also tried to launch a crusade against the Turks, who had captured Constantinople in 1376. In 1377, he decided to move the papal court back to Rome, ending the Avignon captivity. He faced opposition from some of his cardinals and from the French king Charles V, who wanted to keep the pope under his influence. He also faced hostility from the Roman people, who resented his French entourage and his attempts to reform the administration of the city. He died in Rome in 1378, while a congress of peace was in process at Sarzana. His death triggered the Western Schism, which divided the Catholic Church for nearly 40 years. He was buried in the church of Santa Francesca Romana, near the Roman Forum. He was venerated as a saint by some of his contemporaries, but he was never formally canonized by the Church. He is remembered as a pious and learned pope, who tried to restore the unity and authority of the Church in a turbulent time.