Jacques d’Euse of Cahors was pope at Avignon from 1316 to 1334. In his very first year he had the Bishop of Cahors, Hugues Géraud, prosecuted for conspiracy; according to Lea, Géraud was partially flayed alive and burned. He had court clerics convicted of sorcery under torture and executed, and entrusted the Inquisition with the persecution of sorcerers. With the bull Quorumdam exigit he forced the Franciscan Spirituals to obey; four of them were burned at Marseille in 1318, after which stakes burned throughout southern France. He had the Franciscan Bernard Délicieux arrested and in 1320 made his imprisonment harsher. He left 800,000 gold florins.
Deaths
4(counted, Franciscan Spirituals, burned at Marseille in 1318)Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911)
With the bull Quorumdam exigit of 13 April 1317 he commanded the Franciscan Spirituals under pain of excommunication to submit on the question of habits and stores. Four who refused were burned as heretics at Marseille on 7 May 1318. Afterwards the Inquisition moved against their followers throughout southern France; according to Lea, a list recorded 113 executed at Carcassonne up to about 1350. Lea writes that causeless suffering was inflicted by the theological arrogance and obstinate perversity of John XXII.
Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel John XXII (pope)
„in the bull Quorundam exigit (April 13, 1317), adopted an uncompromising and absolute attitude“
John XXII (pope), Artikel John XXII (pope).
OriginalEvidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel John XXII (pope)
„Shortly afterwards four Spirituals were burned at Marseilles.“
John XXII (pope), Artikel John XXII (pope).
OriginalEvidence: Harper & Brothers; Project Gutenberg (eBook 39580), Bd. 3, S. 77
„Mosheim had a list of one hundred and thirteen persons executed at Carcassonne as Spirituals from 1318 to about 1350“
Henry Charles Lea, A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, Bd. 3 (New York 1887/88), Bd. 3, S. 77.
OriginalEvidence: Harper & Brothers; Project Gutenberg (eBook 39580), Bd. 3, S. 180
„how much causeless suffering was inflicted by the theological arrogance and obstinate perversity of John XXII“
Henry Charles Lea, A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, Bd. 3 (New York 1887/88), Bd. 3, S. 180.
Original
How were they charged and sentenced?
In 1320 he expressly conferred jurisdiction over sorcery on the inquisitors and in later bulls ordered sorcerers to be punished as heretics and books of magic to be burned. According to Lea, he thereby gave belief in sorcery a powerful impetus.
Evidence: Harper & Brothers; Project Gutenberg (eBook 39580), Bd. 3, S. 453
„in 1320 he had letters sent out by the Cardinal of S. Sabina formally conferring it fully on inquisitors and urging them to exercise it actively“
Henry Charles Lea, A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, Bd. 3 (New York 1887/88), Bd. 3, S. 453.
OriginalEvidence: Harper & Brothers; Project Gutenberg (eBook 39580), Bd. 3, S. 453
„by ordering sorcerers to be publicly anathematized and punished as heretics and all books of magic lore to be burned“
Henry Charles Lea, A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, Bd. 3 (New York 1887/88), Bd. 3, S. 453.
OriginalEvidence: Harper & Brothers; Project Gutenberg (eBook 39580), Bd. 3, S. 452
„The growing importance of sorcery in popular belief received a powerful impetus from John XXII.“
Henry Charles Lea, A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, Bd. 3 (New York 1887/88), Bd. 3, S. 452.
Original
What happened to those affected?
In 1317 he had the Bishop of Cahors, Hugues Géraud, degraded and handed over to the secular arm for conspiring against his life; according to Lea, Géraud was partially flayed alive and burned in July 1317, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia sentenced to be burned alive. In the same year he had a barber-surgeon and clerics of his palace tried for an attempt on his life with magic figurines; under torture they confessed and were executed. See the entry Avignon 1317.
Evidence: Harper & Brothers; Project Gutenberg (eBook 39451), Bd. 1, S. 557
„in July of the same year he was partially flayed alive and then dragged to the stake and burned.“
Henry Charles Lea, A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, Bd. 1 (New York 1887/88), Bd. 1, S. 557.
OriginalEvidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 3 (1908), Artikel Diocese of Cahors
„implicated in the conspiracy against John XXII and sentenced to be burned alive“
Diocese of Cahors, Artikel Diocese of Cahors.
Original · Archive copyEvidence: Harper & Brothers; Project Gutenberg (eBook 39580), Bd. 3, S. 452 f.
„persuasive influence of torture they confessed that they had at first intended to use poison“
Henry Charles Lea, A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, Bd. 3 (New York 1887/88), Bd. 3, S. 452 f..
OriginalEvidence: Harper & Brothers; Project Gutenberg (eBook 39580), Bd. 3, S. 453
„Of course they were condemned and executed“
Henry Charles Lea, A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, Bd. 3 (New York 1887/88), Bd. 3, S. 453.
Original
According to Lea, the Franciscan Bernard Délicieux, who had defended the victims of the Inquisition of Carcassonne, was the first victim of the inquisitors after his election. John had him arrested in 1317; after torture Délicieux was sentenced in 1319 to life imprisonment in chains on bread and water. On 26 February 1320 the pope revoked the mitigation the judges had granted because of his age; a few months later Délicieux was dead.
Evidence: Harper & Brothers; Project Gutenberg (eBook 39458), Bd. 2, S. 99
„The first victim was Bernard Délicieux.“
Henry Charles Lea, A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, Bd. 2 (New York 1888), Bd. 2, S. 99.
OriginalEvidence: Harper & Brothers; Project Gutenberg (eBook 39458), Bd. 2, S. 102
„pope, possibly to gratify the king, countermanded the pitying order of the bishops, and required the sentence to be executed in all its terrible rigor.“
Henry Charles Lea, A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, Bd. 2 (New York 1888), Bd. 2, S. 102.
Original
Background
Course of events
John XXII (Jacques d’Euse) was born at Cahors in 1249, enthroned as pope on 5 September 1316 and died at Avignon on 4 December 1334. According to Lea, the election only came about after Philip of Poitiers had shut the cardinals up at Lyons; Lea describes him as of boundless ambition and imperious temper.
Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 8 (1910), Artikel Pope John XXII
„Born at Cahors in 1249; enthroned, 5 September, 1316; died at Avignon, 4 December, 1334“
Pope John XXII, Artikel Pope John XXII.
Original · Archive copyEvidence: Harper & Brothers; Project Gutenberg (eBook 39458), Bd. 2, S. 99
„he sternly told them that they should not depart till they had chosen a pope“
Henry Charles Lea, A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, Bd. 2 (New York 1888), Bd. 2, S. 99.
OriginalEvidence: Harper & Brothers; Project Gutenberg (eBook 39458), Bd. 2, S. 99
„his boundless ambition and imperious temper provoked endless quarrels from which his daring spirit never shrank“
Henry Charles Lea, A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, Bd. 2 (New York 1888), Bd. 2, S. 99.
Original
Who received the assets, who profited?
According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, his financial measures were highly successful but later evoked resistance and dissatisfaction; in spite of large expenditures he left 800,000 gold florins.
Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 8 (1910), Artikel Pope John XXII
„The pope's financial measures, however, were highly successful at the time, though in the end they evoked no little resistance and dissatisfaction.“
Pope John XXII, Artikel Pope John XXII.
Original · Archive copyEvidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 8 (1910), Artikel Pope John XXII
At the end of his life John XXII was himself accused of heresy concerning the Beatific Vision.
Evidence: Harper & Brothers; Project Gutenberg (eBook 39580), Bd. 3, S. 454
„at the close of his life, John XXII. was accused of heresy as to the Beatific Vision“
Henry Charles Lea, A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, Bd. 3 (New York 1887/88), Bd. 3, S. 454.
Original
Reference work
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 8 (1910): Pope John XXII, 1 January 1910.
Original · Archive copy(retrieved 30 Oct 2026)
Reference work
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 3 (1908): Diocese of Cahors, 1 January 1908.
Original · Archive copy(retrieved 30 Oct 2026)
Reference work
Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911): John XXII (pope), 1 January 1911.
Original(retrieved 30 Oct 2026)
Scholarly literature
Harper & Brothers; Project Gutenberg (eBook 39451): Henry Charles Lea, A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, Bd. 1 (New York 1887/88).
Original(retrieved 11 Oct 2026)
Scholarly literature
Harper & Brothers; Project Gutenberg (eBook 39458): Henry Charles Lea, A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, Bd. 2 (New York 1888).
Original(retrieved 11 Oct 2026)
Scholarly literature
Harper & Brothers; Project Gutenberg (eBook 39580): Henry Charles Lea, A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, Bd. 3 (New York 1887/88).
Original(retrieved 30 Oct 2026)
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