Clement V

Clement V (1305-1314) reversed Boniface VIII's anti-France decrees and appointed 23 new French Cardinals, but his attempts to make amends were short-lived. When France's King Phillip IV charged the Knights Templar with heresy, Clement V abolished them before the King could (retaining an appearance of supreme power). He played countries against one another, instituted oppressively high taxes and openly gave land to his supporters and family. Clement V had seemingly no qualms about his ability to be bought; for this reason, Dante also placed him in his Hell.

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