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Papal conclave of May 5 to May 7, 1342 – the papal conclave convened after the death of Pope Benedict XII, it elected Cardinal Pierre Roger, who under the name of Clement VI became the fourth Pope of the period of Avignon Papacy.

Cardinal electors[]

Pope Benedict XII died at Avignon on April 25, 1342. At the time of his death, there were nineteen Cardinals in the Sacred College, of whom seventeen participated in the subsequent conclave:[1]

Elector Cardinalatial Title Elevated Elevator Notes[2]
Pierre Desprès Bishop of Palestrina December 20, 1320 John XXII Dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals; Vice-Chancellor of the Holy Roman Church
Bertrand du Pouget Bishop of Ostia e Velletri December 17, 1316 John XXII

(Cardinal-nephew)

Jean-Raymond de Comminges Bishop of Porto e Santa Rufina December 18, 1327 John XXII
Annibaldo di Ceccano Bishop of Frascati December 18, 1327 John XXII
Pedro Gómez de Barroso Bishop of Sabina December 18, 1327 John XXII
Imbert Dupuis Priest of SS. XII Apostoli December 18, 1327 John XXII

(Cardinal-nephew)

Protopriest and Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals
Hélie de Talleyrand-Périgord Priest of S. Pietro in Vincoli May 25, 1331 John XXII Cardinal-protector of the Order of Franciscans
Pierre Bertrand Priest of S. Clemente December 20, 1331 John XXII
Gozzio Battaglia Priest of S. Prisca December 18, 1338 Benedict XII
Bertrand de Déaulx Priest of S. Marco December 18, 1338 Benedict XII
Pierre Roger, O.S.B. Priest of SS. Nereo ed Achilleo December 18, 1338 Benedict XII Elected Pope Clement VI
Guillaume Court, O.Cist. Priest of SS. IV Coronati December 18, 1338 Benedict XII

(Cardinal-nephew)

Bernard d’Albi Priest of S. Ciriaco alle Terme December 18, 1338 Benedict XII
Guillaume d'Aure, O.S.B. Priest of S. Stefano al Monte Celio January 1339 Benedict XII
Raymond Guillaume des Farges Deacon of S. Maria Nuova 1310, December 19 Clement V

(Cardinal-nephew)

Protodeacon of the Sacred College Cardinals
Gaillard de la Mothe Deacon of S. Lucia in Silice December 17, 1316 John XXII
Giovanni Colonna Deacon of S. Angelo in Pescheria December 18, 1327 John XXII

Ten electors were creatures of John XXII, six of Benedict XII and one of Clement V. Thirteen of them were French, three Italians and one Spaniard.

The post of the Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church was occupied at that time by Gasbert de Valle[3], archbishop of Narbonne (not a Cardinal) and nephew of Pope John XXII.

Absentee cardinals[]

Two French Cardinals, both elevated by John XXII, did not participate in this conclave:[1]

Elector Cardinalatial Title Elevated Elevator Notes[2]
Gauscelin de Jean Bishop of Albano December 17, 1316 John XXII (Cardinal-nephew) Grand penitentiary
Bertrand de Montfavez Deacon of S. Maria in Aquiro December 17, 1316 John XXII Archpriest of the patriarchal Lateran Basilica

The election of Pope Clement VI[]

The conclave started on May 5 and lasted only two days. On May 7 Cardinal Pierre Roger, former Chancellor of the Kingdom of France, was unanimously elected Pope, "by divine inspiration alone", as reported shortly thereafter Cardinals des Farges and Ceccano[4]. Elect took the name of Clement VI. On May 19 new Pope was crowned in the church of the Dominicans in Avignon by Raymond Guillaume des Farges, protodeacon of S. Maria Nuova.[5].

Shortly after the death of Benedict XII king Philip VI of France sent to Avignon his eldest son with the task to support the candidature of Cardinal Roger, but when he arrived, the election had been already accomplished with the result expected by the king[4].

Notes[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Salvador Miranda Conclave of 1342.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Notes according to the biographical entries of the respective cardinals on The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church: consistories of XIV Century by Salvador Miranda
  3. Niccolò del Re, La Curia romana: lineamenti storico giuridici, Città del Vaticano, 1998, p. 296
  4. 4.0 4.1 G. Mollat, p. 37
  5. S. Miranda: Cardinal Pierre Roger (Pope Clement VI)

Sources[]

  • List of participants of the conclave of 1342 by Salvador Miranda
  • G. Mollat The Popes at Avignon 1305-1378, London 1963
  • (French) Wrigley, J.E. 1982. "The Conclave and the Electors of 1342". Archivum Historiae Pontificiae Roma, 20: 51-81.
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