Clement VII (antipape)
Robert of Geneva (1342-1394) is a Prélat French which was the first of the Pape of Avignon of the Great Schism of Occident under the name of Clément , and in particular elected by its successor Benoît {{XIII}} which will put at its profit its legal competences.
He is the son of Amédée {{III}}, count de Genève, and of Mahaut of Auvergne.
The popes sit at Avignon. Five successive popes and 80% of the cardinals are French (and generally close to king de France) and name of French as legates and governors of the ecclesiastical provinces of Italy. However the French are not familiar of the Italian businesses and the Italians hate them. Gregoire XI makes the error to perpetuate these bad habits. He enters in conflict with Florentins. Pushed by Florence, the cities of the Papal States revolt against the unjust administration French legates.
In the middle of these serious disorders Gregoire XI, exauçant the pressing prayers of Catherine of His, decides to replace the pontifical see in Rome because the situation in Italy threatens to escape to him. In spite of the protests of Charles V the king of France and majority of the cardinals, it leaves Avignon on September 13rd, 1376 and embarks in Marseilles on October 2nd for Italy. He arrives in Corneto, via Genoa, on December 6th. He remains there until arrangements necessary were taken in Rome about its government and of its future installation. January 13rd, 1377, it leaves Corneto, unloads in Ostie the next day and goes up the Tiber towards the monastery San Paolo, from where it carries out its solemn entry in Rome on January 17th, 1377.
But its return towards Rome does not put term at the hostilities. Robert of Geneva become cardinal is a man of action and undertakes to subdue the rebellion: terrible the Massacre of Césène revolt even more Italians against papacy. The quasi-continuous Roman riots lead Gregoire XI to be withdrawn on Anagui towards the end of the month of May 1377.
The accession under pope of Urbain VI (1378 - 1389), successor in Rome of Gregoire {{XI}} (which had resided a time at Avignon) starts the Great Schism of Occident. Urbain {{VI}} is a very authoritative pope. The college of the cardinals, dominated by a French majority, then reproaches him for being elected with Rome under the pressure of the population in insurrection. Supported by the kingdom of Naples they elect Clément {{VII}} (1378 - 1394) at the time of a conclave which they held in Fondi in the area of Rome. It settles in Avignon. Crowned the College denounces the preceding election of Urbain VI, the Church has two popes, it now is the beginning of the Great Schism. The Christian occident is then separate into two following the cleavage of the Guerre One hundred Year old: Whereas England and the Saint Empire maintain their fidelity in Rome, France, the Spanish Scotland and states support Clément VII.
Supported by France, Clément VII settles in Avignon, from where he undertakes to fight against Urbain VI. This last loses little by little its allies, becoming a paranoiac tyrant. It makes torture and disappear its own cardinals who thought of replacing it.
But Clément VII essuie a failure in the kingdom of Naples where the queen Jeanne is assassinated by Charles of Lasted, a partisan of Urbain VI. The lack of initiative and opportunism of its allies does not enable him to reverse Urbain VI. With died of this last on October 15th, 1389, its cardinals elect a successor, Boniface IX to him, thus perpetuating the schism.
The confusion of times benefits Raymond, Viscount of Turenne, lord of the Beams of Provence, which employs bands of truck drivers and scum the area. The pope is constrained to pay him a ransom so that it ceases his exactions.
When Clément VII dies on September 16th, 1394, it will not have been able to reconcile the divided Church, nor to take a decisive advantage on its competitor Urbain VI then Boniface IX.
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