CLEMENT V. (Bertrand de Gouth), pope from 1305 to 1314, was born of a noble Gascon family about 1264. Af ter studying at Toulouse, Orleans, and Bologna, he became a canon at Bor deaux, then vicar-general to his brother, the archbishop of Lyons, in 1295 bishop of Cominges, and in 1299 archbishop of Bordeaux. On June 5, 1305, he was chosen to succeed Benedict XI. From the beginning Clement V. was subservient to French interests. Among his first acts was the creation of nine French cardinals. Early in 1306 he modified those features of the bulls Clerics Laicos and Unam sanctam, which were offensive to the king. In March 1309 the entire papal court settled at Avignon, a fief of the king of Sicily. Thus began the 70 years "Babylonian captivity of the Church." In Oct. 1307 came the arrest of all the Knights Templar in France, whom the king had charged with heresy, immorality and abuses. Fearing that the State would proceed independently against the alleged heretics, Clement summoned the council of Vienne (see VIENNE, COUNCIL OF), which was unable to conclude that the Templars were guilty of heresy. The pope abolished the order, however, as it had outlived its usefulness. Its French estates were granted to the Hospitallers, but actually Philip IV. held them until his death.
In his relations to the empire Clement was an opportunist. He refused to favour the candidature of Charles of Valois, brother of Philip IV., lest France became too powerful; and recognized Henry of Luxemburg, whom his representatives crowned em peror at the Lateran in 1312. When Henry, however, came into conflict with Robert of Naples, Clement supported Robert and threatened the emperor with interdict. Henry's unexpected death was soon followed by that of the pope on April 20, 1314, at Roque maure-sur-Rhone.
See Regestum Clementis Papae V. ex Vaticanis archetypis cura et studio monachorum ord. Ben. (Rome, 1885-92, 9 vols. and appendix) ; J. Gmelin, Schuld oder Unschuld des Templerordens (Stuttgart, 1893) ; J. Loserth, Geschichte des spateren Mittelalters (Munich, 1903) ; and A. Eitel, Der Kirchenstaat enter Klemens V. (Berlin, 190 7) ; G. Lizerand, Clement V. (191I) .