Editing Avignon Papacy (section)

===Submission===
Under Pope Clement VI (1342–1352) the French interests started dominating the papacy. Clement VI had been [[Archbishop of Rouen]] and adviser to Philip IV before, so his links to the French court were much stronger than those of his predecessors. At some point he even financed French war efforts out of his own pockets. He reportedly loved luxurious wardrobe and under his rule the extravagant life style in Avignon reached new heights.

Clement VI was also pope during the [[Black Death]], the [[epidemic]] that swept through Europe between 1347 and 1350 and is believed to have killed about one-third of [[Medieval demography|Europe's population]]. Also during his reign in 1348, the Avignon papacy bought the city of Avignon from the Angevins.<ref>''Avignon Papacy'', Thomas M. Izbicki, '''Medieval France: An Encyclopedia''', ed. William Kibler, (Routledge, 1995), 89.</ref>

[[File:Clemens_VI.png|thumb|[[Clement VI]]]]
[[Pope Innocent VI]] (1352–1362), born Etienne Aubert, was less partisan than Clement VI. He was keen on establishing peace between France and England, having worked to this end in papal delegations in 1345 and 1348. His gaunt appearance and austere manners commanded higher respect in the eyes of nobles at both sides of the conflict. However, he was also indecisive and impressionable, already an old man when being elected Pope. In this situation, the king of France managed to influence the papacy, although papal legates played key roles in various attempts to stop the conflict.

Most notably in 1353, the [[Suburbicarian Diocese of Porto e Santa Rufina|bishop of Porto]], Guy de Boulogne, tried to set up a conference. After initial successful talks the effort failed, largely due to the mistrust from the English side over Guy's strong ties with the French court. In a letter Innocent VI himself wrote to the [[Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster|Duke of Lancaster]]: "Although we were born in France and although for that and other reasons we hold the realm of France in special affection, yet in working for peace we have put aside our private prejudices and tried to serve the interests of everyone."

With [[Pope Urban V]] (1362–1370), the control by [[Charles V of France]] of the papacy became more direct. Urban V himself is described as the most austere of the Avignon popes after Benedict XII and probably the most spiritual of all. However, he was not a strategist and made substantial concessions to the French crown especially in finances, a crucial issue during the war with England. In 1369, Pope Urban V supported the marriage of [[Philip the Bold]] of the [[Duchy of Burgundy]] and [[Margaret III, Countess of Flanders]], rather than giving dispensation to one of [[Edward III of England]]'s sons to marry Margaret. This clearly showed the partisanship of the papacy; correspondingly, the respect for the church dropped.