Page:The history of medieval Europe.djvu/617

 THE PAPACY AND ITS OPPONENTS 561 that a certain position should be theirs upon the death of the present incumbent. Another source of papal revenue was from payments for dispensations, and from the contri- butions of the faithful in connection with indulgences, par- dons, and jubilees or anniversaries. There were regular papal collectors scattered over western Europe, which was systematically divided up for the purpose into seven regions ; namely, the British Isles, the Scandinavian kingdoms, Po- land and Hungary, Germany and Bohemia, France, the Spanish peninsula, and Italy. At the papal court great mag- nificence prevailed, and the subordinate officials at least were very corrupt and demanded no end of tips and fees. One reason, however, why the popes required more revenue at Avignon was that their possessions in Italy were in a state of rebellion and confusion and that they not only derived little income from them any longer, but spent a good deal in endeavoring to subdue them. Indeed, the popes remained at Avignon partly because Rome and its vicinity had for a long time been gradually growing too hot for them. Whatever good reasons it may have had for being at Avignon, the Papacy did not escape criticism. John XXII, besides his struggle with the German emperor, The Louis of Bavaria, had another with the Spiritual Spiritual Franciscans, as those of the Order called them- selves who insisted upon absolute fidelity to the injunctions of St. Francis and standards of apostolic poverty. The pope, on the contrary, supported the inquisitor of Narbonne in his declaration that it was heresy to assert that neither Christ nor the apostles individually or collectively possessed any property. There were other movements akin to the Spiritual Franciscans, such as those of the Fraticelli and the Beguins and Beghards. These, too, were often persecuted by the Church as heretics. Louis of Bavaria's court physician, Marsiglio of Padua, who had been rector at the University of Paris, Marsiglio of and who sided with the emperor and the Spir- t £ e ^ e f^ nsor itual Franciscans against the pope, wrote a re- P acis markable work, The Defender 0} Peace, which was translated