Editing Avignon Papacy (section)

===Centralization of Church administration===
The temporal role of the Catholic Church increased the pressure upon the papal court to emulate the governmental practices and procedures of secular courts. The Catholic Church successfully reorganised and centralized its administration under [[Pope Clement V|Clement V]] and [[Pope John XXII|John XXII]]. The papacy now directly controlled the appointments of [[benefice]]s, abandoning the customary election process that traditionally allotted this considerable income.

Many other forms of payment brought riches to the [[Holy See]] and its cardinals: [[tithe]]s, a ten-percent tax on church property; [[annates]], the income of the first year after filling a position such as a [[Diocese|bishopric]]; special taxes for crusades that never took place; and many forms of dispensation, from the entering of benefices without basic qualifications like literacy for newly appointed priests to the request of a converted Jew to visit his unconverted parents. Popes such as [[Pope John XXII|John XXII]], [[Pope Benedict XII|Benedict XII]], and [[Pope Clement VI|Clement VI]] reportedly spent fortunes on expensive wardrobes, and [[silver]] and [[gold]] plates were used at [[banquet]]s.

Overall the public life of leading church members began to resemble the lives of princes rather than members of the clergy. This splendor and corruption at the head of the Church found its way to the lower ranks: when a bishop had to pay up to a year's income for gaining a benefice, he sought ways of raising this money from his new office. This was taken to extremes by the pardoners who sold [[absolution]]s for all kinds of sins. While pardoners were hated but popularly regarded as helpful to redeem one's soul, [[friar]]s were commonly regarded as failing to follow the Church's moral commandments by ignoring their vows of [[chastity]] and [[poverty]] and were despised. This sentiment strengthened movements calling for a return to absolute poverty, relinquishment of all personal and ecclesiastical belongings, and preaching as the Lord and his disciples had.