Pope Francis never liked grand titles. He called himself the Bishop of Rome, not the ruler of Vatican City. He carried his own bag, wore simple shoes and asked for prayers more often than he gave blessings. Now, as bells toll across St Peter’s Square, the man who tried to bring the Church closer to the people has taken his final leave. At 88, Pope Francis has died.
Over 12 years, he opened doors long thought shut and urged the Church to listen more and reminded the faithful that mercy matters more than judgment. His death brings a pause and a moment to look at how the papacy has changed over time, not just spiritually, but even physically.
Over 700 years ago, the papacy went through a shift – one that saw it physically uprooted from Rome and relocated to Avignon, France. This chapter, known as the Avignon Papacy (1309-1377), would last nearly seven decades.
The shift began in 1305, when Bertrand de Got, Archbishop of Bordeaux, was elected Pope after a nearly year-long conclave following the death of Pope Benedict XI. He took the name Clement V. Though he was crowned in Lyon, Clement never relocated to Rome. Pressured by his deep ties to the French monarchy – especially King Philip IV – Clement chose instead to establish the papal court in Avignon, a city then under the jurisdiction of the Kingdom of Naples but heavily influenced by France.
This was the start of what is known as the Avignon Papacy, when the pope ruled from France instead of the Vatican.
From 1309 to 1377, seven popes – all French – governed the Church from Avignon. Many in Europe saw this as a sign that the papacy was under French control. Critics, like the poet Petrarch, called it the “Babylonian Captivity” of the Church. The papal court in Avignon became known for its wealth, heavy taxes and distance from Rome’s traditions.
The papacy finally returned to Rome in 1377.
Shortly after, a split occurred, and for almost 40 years, the Church had rival popes claiming power in different parts of Europe.