Church History, Volume 2 (of 3)Kurtz, J. H. (Johann Heinrich)
History
Church History, Volume 2 (of 3)
Kurtz, J. H. (Johann Heinrich)
Church history
§ 110.5. The famous Rienzi was made apostolic notary by
Clement VI. in A.D. 1343, and as tribune of the people headed
the revolt against the barons in A.D. 1347. Losing his popularity
through his own extravagances he was obliged to flee, and being
taken prisoner by Charles at Prague, he was sent to Avignon in
A.D. 1350. Instead of the stake with which Clement had threatened
him, =Innocent VI.=, A.D. 1352-1362, bestowed senatorial rank
upon him, and sent him to Rome, hoping that his demagogical
talent would succeed in furthering the interests of the papacy.
He now once more, amid loud acclamations, entered the eternal
city, but after two months, hated and cursed as a tyrant, he was
murdered in A.D. 1354, while attempting flight.--By A.D. 1367
things had so improved in Rome that, notwithstanding the
opposition of king and court and the objections of luxurious
cardinals unwilling to quit Avignon, =Urban V.=, A.D. 1362-1370,
in October of that year made a triumphal entrance into Rome
amid the jubilations of the Romans. Charles’ Italian expedition
of the following year was inglorious and without result. The
disquiet and party strifes prevailing through the country made
the position of the pope so uncomfortable, that notwithstanding
the earnest entreaty of St. Bridget (§ 112, 8), who threatened
him with the Divine judgment of an early death in France, he
returned in A.D. 1370 to Avignon, where in ten weeks the words
of the northern prophetess were fulfilled. His successor was
=Gregory XI.=, A.D. 1370-1378. Rome and the States of the Church
had now again become the scene of the wildest anarchy, which
Gregory could only hope to quell by his personal presence. The
exhortations of the two prophetesses of the age, St. Bridget and
St. Catherine (§ 112, 4), had a powerful influence upon him, but
what finally determined him was the threat of the exasperated
Romans to elect an anti-pope. And so in spite of the renewed
opposition of the cardinals and the French court, the curia
again returned to Rome in A.D. 1377; but though the rejoicing
at the event throughout the city was great, the results were by
no means what had been expected. Sick and disheartened, the pope
was already beginning to speak of going back to Avignon, when
his death in A.D. 1378 put an end to his cares and sufferings.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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