The Papacy in the Late Middle Ages
Pope Benedict XII (1334-1342)
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| Pope Benedict XII |
It often happens that in the wake of a particularly strong pope, the next pope is of a very different character, and so it was with Benedict XII.
Benedict was a Cistercian monk who became the Bishop of Pamiers in Languedoc. There he made a reputation for himself as a hunter of Cathars, who had persisted in southern France despite the crusades of a century earlier.
Once he became pope, he tried to follow a policy of caution and moderation, with mixed success. He did make a truce with Lewis of Germany and with the Spiritual Franciscans. He's the one who is responsible for the construction of the papal palace, a clear indication that he did not regard a return to Rome as a high priority. He was more a scholar than an administrator and enjoyed theological debates more than political struggles or financial cares.