Editing Pope Benedict XI (section)

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He was quick to release King Philip IV from the [[excommunication]] that had been put upon him by Boniface VIII. Nevertheless, on 7 June 1304, Benedict XI excommunicated Philip IV's implacable minister [[Guillaume de Nogaret]] and all the Italians who had played a part in the seizure of his predecessor at Anagni. Benedict XI also arranged an armistice between Philip IV of France and [[Edward I of England]].

After a brief pontificate that spanned a mere eight months, Benedict XI died suddenly at [[Perugia]]. As original reports had it, suspicion fell primarily on Nogaret with the suspicion that his sudden death was caused by [[poison]]ing.<ref name="Catholic">{{Catholic|wstitle=Pope Benedict XI|inline=1}}</ref> There is no direct evidence, however, to either support or disprove the contention that Nogaret poisoned the pope. Benedict XI's successor, [[Pope Clement V|Clement V]] was in France when elected and never journeyed to [[Rome]]. His successors resided principally in [[Avignon]], inaugurating the period known as the [[Avignon Papacy]]. He and the French popes who succeeded him were completely under the influence of the kings of France.

Benedict XI also celebrated two [[Papal consistory|Consistories]] for the purpose of creating new cardinals. The first, on 18 December 1303, elevated Nicholas Alberti da Prato, the Bishop of Spoleto; and William Macclesfield (Marlesfeld) of Canterbury, Prior of the English Province of the Dominicans.<ref>Macclesfeld may have been dead at the time that he was created cardinal.</ref> On 19 February 1304 he elevated Walter Winterburn of Salisbury, the confessor of King Edward I of England, who did not want to part with him, and kept him in England for some time. By the time he arrived in Perugia on 28 November 1304, Pope Benedict was dead.<ref>Bernardus Guidonis, quoted in J. Catalano, ''Sacrarum Caeremoniarum sive Rituum Ecclesiasticorum Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Libri Tres'' (Romae 1750), p. 59.</ref> Cardinal Winterburn died at Genoa on 24 September 1305.<ref>Eubel, p. 13.</ref> All three new cardinals were members of the Dominican Order.

Benedict XI was the author of a volume of sermons and commentaries on the [[Gospel of Matthew]], the [[Psalms]], the [[Book of Job]], and the [[Book of Revelation]].<ref name="Catholic"/><ref>Jacobus Echard, ''Scriptores Ordinis Praedicatorum recensiti'' Tomus I (Paris 1719), pp. 444-447.</ref>