Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 6.djvu/299

 FRATICELLI

247

FRATICELLI

a new Bull, "Quia nonnunquam" (2(i March, 1322). On 6 March of the same year John XXII had submit- ted the matter to a consistorj'. The order was vigor- ously defended by the Cardinals Vitalis du Four and Bertrand de Turre (de la Tour), ^Axchbishop Arnaldo Royardi of Salerno, and various other bishops, all Franciscans; other cardinals opposed their views, and the pope leaned towards the opposition. He also re- quested the opinion of Ubertino of Casale, a renowned Spiritual leader (1328), who, with a fine-spun distinc- tion, declared (28 March, 1322) that Christ and the Apostles did possess property, inasmuch as they gov- erned the Church, but not as individuals or as exem- plars of Christian perfection. This distinction, more subtle than real, seemed satisfactory to both sides, when the provocative measures taken by the chapter of the order destroyed all prospects of peace. Fra Michael of Cesena, General of the Franciscan Order (elected 1316), a Conventual, as attested by various measures enacted by him with the approval of John XXII, con- vened a general chapter for 1 Jinie, 1322, at Perugia. Anticipating, on the advice of the Franciscan Cardi- nals Vitalis and Bertrand, the definitive decision of the pope, the chapter solemnly declared in favour of the "absolute poverty" of Christ (4 June, 1322). This pronunciamoiio was signed by the general, Michael of Cesena, the provincial ministers of Southern Germany, England (William of Nottingham, not Occam), Aqui- tania. Northern France, and others, as well as by sev- eral renowned scholars. On 11 June the chapter solemnly published its decrees to all Christendom. Indignant at these proceedings, John XXII, in the Bull "Ad conditorem canonum" (8 December, 1322), declared that the Roman Church renounced all its claimsto the movable and immovable properties of the Franciscan Order and therewith returned them. Thus the pope revoked the Bull " Exiit" of Nicholas III and did away with the poverty which formed the basis of the Franciscan Order. It is easy to understand the effect of this upon the Franciscans, particularly the Zelanti. In the name of the order Fra Boncortese (Bonagrazia) of Bergamo, a capable lawyer and up to that time a bitter enemy of the Zelanti, presented a daring protest against this Bull to the Consistorj' (14 Januarj', 1323). Although the pope thereupon revised the text of the Bull and reissuetl it under the original date, he incarcerated Bonagrazia and in the Bull "Cum inter nomiullos" (12 November, 1323) declared heretical the assertion that Christ and the Apostles possessed no property either separately or collectively. The controversy between the pope and the order soon took on a political character, the Minorites hav- ing been appointed coimsellors to Louis IV the Bava- rian, King of Germany, who also was engaged in a con- flict with the pope. After Louis IV (1314-47) had defeated his rival Frederick, Duke of Austria, at the battle of Mahldorf (IS Sept., 1322), and had invaded Lombardy to further the cause of the Ghibelline Vi.s- conti, John XXII ordered the whole question of right to the German throne to be brought before the papal tribunal and, on 8 October, 1323, began canonical pro- ceedings against Louis. In the Nuremberg Appeal (18 Dec, 1323) Louis, curiously enough, had accused the pope of unduly favouring the Minorites, though this docimient was never published. But the Sachsen- hausen Appeal of the same King Louis (22 May, 1324) was full of invectives against the "heretic who falsely designates himself Pope John XXII" for doing away with the poverty of Christ. This famous "Spiritualist excursus" is closely connected with the Appeal of Bonagrazia, and with writings of Ubertino of Casale and of Pietro di Giovanni Olivi. It is certain that it originated among the Franciscans who, under the pro- tection of the king, aimed it at John XXII and his teaching, although Louis IV later denied all responsi- bility in the matter. The result was that Louis IV was excommunicated (11 July, 1324) and. in the decree

"Quia quorundam" (10 Nov., 1324), John XXII for- bade all contradiction and questioning of his constitu- tions "Cum inter nonnullos" and "Ad conditorem". The general chapter of the order, assembled at Lyons (20 May, 1325) under the presidency of Michael of Cesena, forbade any disrespectful reference to the pope. On 8 June, 1327, Michael received instructions to present himself at Avignon, a command which he obeyed (2 Dec, 1327). The pope having sharply reproved him in public (9 April, 1328) for the chapter's action at Perugia (1322), he drew up a .secret protest (13 April) and, fearing punishment, fled, despite the orders of the pope, to Aigues-Mortes (28 May) and thence to Pisa, together with Bonagrazia of Bergamo and William of Occam. In the meanwhile other events of importance had occurred. Louis the Ba- varian had entered Rome with a German array, to the great joy of the Ghibellines. Accompanying hira were Ubertino of Casale, John of Jandun and Marsilius of Padua, the authors of the "Defensor pacis", which declared that the emperor and theChurch at large were above the pope. Louis had himself solemnly crowned Emperor of Rome by ,'>ciarra Colonna (17 Jan., 1328), and on 12 May he nominated and had consecrated as antipope Pietro Rainalducci of Corvara, a Franciscan, under the name of Nicholas V. The three fugitives from Avignon presented themselves to Louis and ac- companied him to Bavaria, where they remained till their death. John XXII depo.sed Michael as general of the order (G June, 1328) and (13 June) appointed the Minorite Cardinal Bertrand de Turre vicar-general of the order to preside at the chapter to be held in Paris (2 June, 1329), which Michael of Cesena vainly attempted to prevent, and brought about the elec- tion of Fra Gerardus Odonis of Chateauroux, of the pro\'ince of Aquitaine. Obedient to John XXII, he induced the majority of the order to submit to the Apostolic See. Michael of Cesena and all his adherents, the Michaelites, were repudiated by the order. At; the same time, by command of John XXII, papal proceedings were instituted against them every- where. The Michaelites denied John's right to the papacy and denounced lioth him and his successors as heretics. This shows the dangerous character of the sect. In their numerous and passionate denimciations of the popes, especially of John XXII, they always single out for refutation isolated statements of John in his Bulls. To the contention regarding poverty was added (1333) the question of the beatific vision of the saints, concerning which John XXII, contrary to gen- eral opinion, yet without intending to define the mat- ter, had declared that it would begin only at the last judgment.

During this period the antipope, Nicholas V, had nominated six cardinals (15 May, 1328), among them an Augustinian and a Dominican, and between Septem- ber, 1328, and December, 1329, three other cardinals; also among the bishops whom he consecrated were members of the two orders mentioned above. After Louis IV had returned to Bavaria, Nicholas V, de- prived of all support, took refuge with the Count of Donoratico. Finally, in his distress, Nicholas ap- pealed to John XXII, cast himself at his feet (.\vignon, 4 Aug.), and submitted to honourable confinement at Avignon, where he remained till his death (16 October, 1333).

John, meanwhile, had taken steps against Michael and his followers. In accordance with his instructions (20 June, 1328) to Aycardo, Archbishop of Milan, the proceedings against Michael were published in various localities. On .5 September, 1328, John XXII com- manded the imprisonment of Fra Azzolino, who was acting as Michael's vicar, and on 18 August, 1.331, the arrest of another vicar, Fra Thedino, who represented Michael in the March of Ancona. Prominent among the followers of Michael were the more or less numer- ous Minorites in the monasteries of Todi and Amelia