# Pope John XXII

_Pope of the Catholic Church from 1316 to 1334_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/pope-john-xxii
Last updated: 2026-11-03

> Pope John XXII (Latin: Ioannes XXII, Italian: Giovanni XXII, French: Jean XXII; 1244 – 4 December 1334), born Jacques Duèze (or d'Euse), was head of the Catholic Church from 7 August 1316 to his death, in December 1334. He was the second and longest-reigning Avignon Pope, elected by the Conclave of Cardinals, which was assembled in Lyon. Like his predecessor, Clement V, Pope John centralized power and income in the Papacy and lived a princely life in Avignon.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 1244 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q165568#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Cahors ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q165568#P19))
- **Died:** 4 December 1334 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q165568#P570))
- **Place of death:** Avignon ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q165568#P20))
- **Citizenship:** France ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q165568#P27))
- **Occupation:** Catholic priest; Catholic bishop; writer ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q165568#P106))
- **Education:** Old University of Orléans ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q165568#P69))
- **Positions held:** Pope (15 August 1316 – 4 December 1334); cardinal (since 23 December 1312); Roman Catholic Bishop of Avignon (since 18 March 1310); Roman Catholic Bishop of Fréjus (since 4 February 1300) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q165568#P39))

## About

John opposed the policies of Louis IV the Bavarian as Holy Roman Emperor, which prompted Louis to invade Italy and set up an antipope, Nicholas V. John also opposed the Franciscan understanding of the poverty of Christ and his apostles, promulgating multiple papal bulls to enforce his views. This led William of Ockham to write against unlimited papal power.

Following a three-year process, John canonized Thomas Aquinas on 18 July 1323. One of John's sermons on the beatific vision caused controversy which lasted until he retracted his views just before his death. John died in Avignon on 4 December 1334, around age 90.

## Questions

**When was Pope John XXII born?**  
Pope John XXII was born on 1244 in Cahors.

**What positions has Pope John XXII held?**  
Positions held by Pope John XXII include: Pope (1316–1334); cardinal (since 23 December 1312); Roman Catholic Bishop of Avignon (since 18 March 1310); Roman Catholic Bishop of Fréjus (since 4 February 1300).

**Where did Pope John XXII study?**  
Pope John XXII was educated at Old University of Orléans.

## Related

- [Pope Telesphorus](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-telesphorus)
- [Pope Gregory XIII](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-gregory-xiii)
- [Pope Clement VII](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-clement-vii)
- [Pope Pius I](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-pius-i)
- [Pope Boniface I](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-boniface-i)
- [Pope Agapetus I](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-agapetus-i)
- [Pope Hormisdas](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-hormisdas)
- [Pope Innocent VIII](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-innocent-viii)
- [Pope Alexander VIII](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-alexander-viii)
- [Pope Innocent X](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-innocent-x)
- [Pope Julius II](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-julius-ii)

## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Pope John XXII](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_John_XXII) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q165568](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q165568) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Jean XXII 1316.JPG by Unknown century 14th (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jean_XXII_1316.JPG)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Pope John XXII, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Jean XXII 1316.JPG — Unknown century 14th, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Pope John XXII". DigiNepal. Last updated 3 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/pope-john-xxii. Retrieved 4 November 2026.