Crises. In 1350 the Catholic Church faced two major crises. One was the Black Death (1347-1351), which led to a preoccupation with death and the appearance of a highly mechanical form of religiosity that depended upon the performance of many pious acts and religious devotions to lessen God's wrath. The other was the residence of the pope in Avignon, France, for the past four decades, away from Rome, where his position as bishop provided the basis for his authority over the Church. Pressure on the pope to go back to Rome secured a return in 1377. When Pope Gregory XI died in 1378, the process of selecting a new pontiff resulted in threats of violence that led to the election of an Italian Pope (Urban VI) who remained in Rome and a rival Pope (Clement VII) who returned to Avignon. This Great, or Western, Schism created an even greater scandal and.....
