1342 papal conclave


The 1342 papal conclave – the papal conclave convened after the death of Pope Benedict XII, it elected Cardinal Pierre Roger, who became the fourth Pope of the period of Avignon Papacy under the name Clement VI.

Cardinal electors

died at Avignon on 25 April 1342. At the time of his death, there were nineteen Cardinals in the Sacred College, of whom seventeen participated in the subsequent conclave:
ElectorTitleElevatedElevatorNotes
Pierre DesprèsBishop of Palestrina20 December 1320John XXIIDean of the Sacred College of Cardinals; Vice-Chancellor of the Holy Roman Church
Bertrand du PougetBishop of Ostia e Velletri17 December 1316John XXIInephew of John XXII
Jean-Raymond de CommingesBishop of Porto e Santa Rufina18 December 1327John XXII
Annibaldo di CeccanoBishop of Frascati18 December 1327John XXII
Pedro Gómez de BarrosoBishop of Sabina18 December 1327John XXII
Imbert du PuyPriest of SS. XII Apostoli18 December 1327John XXIIProtopriest and Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals
nephew of John XXII
Hélie de Talleyrand-PérigordPriest of S. Pietro in Vincoli25 May 1331John XXIICardinal-protector of the Order of Franciscans
Pierre BertrandPriest of S. Clemente20 December 1331John XXII
Gozzio BattagliaPriest of S. PriscaDecember 18, 1338Benedict XII
Bertrand de DéaulxPriest of S. Marco18 December 1338Benedict XII
Pierre Roger, O.S.B.Priest of SS. Nereo ed Achilleo18 December 1338Benedict XIIElected Pope Clement VI
Guillaume Court, O.Cist.Priest of SS. IV Coronati18 December 1338Benedict XIInephew of John XXII
Bernard d’AlbiPriest of S. Ciriaco alle Terme18 December 1338Benedict XII
Guillaume d'Aure, O.S.B.Priest of S. Stefano al Monte CelioJanuary 1339Benedict XII
Raymond Guillaume des FargesDeacon of S. Maria Nuova19 December 1310Clement VProtodeacon of the Sacred College of Cardinals; nephew of John XXII
Gaillard de la MotheDeacon of S. Lucia in Silice17 December 1316John XXII
Giovanni ColonnaDeacon of S. Angelo in Pescheria18 December 1327John XXII

Ten electors were creatures of John XXII, six of Benedict XII and one of Clement V. Thirteen of them were French, three Italian and one Spanish.
The post of the Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church was occupied at that time by Gasbert de Valle, Archbishop of Narbonne and nephew of Pope John XXII.

Absentee cardinals

Two French Cardinals, both elevated by John XXII, did not participate in this conclave:
ElectorCardinalatial TitleElevatedElevatorNotes
Gauscelin de JeanBishop of AlbanoDecember 17, 1316John XXIIGrand penitentiary; nephew of John XXII
Bertrand de MontfavezDeacon of S. Maria in AquiroDecember 17, 1316John XXIIArchpriest of the patriarchal Lateran Basilica

The election of Pope Clement VI

The conclave started on May 5 and lasted only two days. On May 7 Cardinal Pierre Roger, former Chancellor of the Kingdom of France, was unanimously elected Pope, "by divine inspiration alone", as reported shortly thereafter Cardinals des Farges and Ceccano. Elect took the name of Clement VI. On May 19 new Pope was crowned in the church of the Dominicans in Avignon by Raymond Guillaume des Farges, protodeacon of S. Maria Nuova.
Shortly after the death of Benedict XII king Philip VI of France sent to Avignon his eldest son with the task to support the candidature of Cardinal Roger, but when he arrived, the election had been already accomplished with the result expected by the king.