Pope Urban V was born as Guillaume Grimoard in the year 1310 into a knightly family in Grisac in Languedoc (now know as Le Pont-de-Montvert, departement of Lozere). As a young boy, Guillaume was educated at Montpellier and Toulouse. He became a Benedictine monk and achieved a doctor in Canon Law. After finishing his education, Guillaume taught at Montpellier and Avignon.

On September 28, 1362 Guillaume Grimoard was elected to succeed Pope Innocent the VI. Grimoard adopted the name Urban V.

As a pope, Urban V was very religious and known as a disciplinarian. He denounced the luxury that many past popes had chosen to live in and brought about reforms in the church.

Pope Urban the fifth worked toward the reformation of the clergy. He took strong measures against heretical teachers and immoral monks. He adhered to papal laws and forced other Catholics to do the same.

Urban V’s great worked stretched beyond that of Catholicism. Urban V founded the University of Hungary. He saved the University of Music in Toulouse, the School of Medicine in Montpellier, and founded the College of Saint Benoit. In addition to that, he founded a college in Quezac and Bedoues, a library and church in Ispagnac, and he provided food, lodging, books, and education for over 1,000 students.

The biggest accomplishment of Urban V was the attempt to restore the papacy to Italy. One way that Urban V accomplished this was excommunicating members of the church that went against Urban V’s teaching. He also led a crusade through Italy teaching his message and speaking against his adversaries.

When Italy’s troubles did not cease, Petrarch and St. Bridget of Sweden urged Urban V to set out for Rome. When Urban V arrived in Rome on October 16, 1367, he received much joy from the clergy and people of Rome however it soon became clear to Urban V that ruling from Rome granted him no additional power.

Due to the request of French cardinals, and the revolts in a number of Papal States, Urban V left Rome on September 5, 1370. He arrived in Avignon on the 24th of September. Shortly after arriving in Avignon, Urban V fell ill, and died on December 19, 1370. He was to be succeeded by Pope Gregory XI.

Urban V ruled the papacy for a very short period, however he made the most of the time that he did have. Urban V’s rule is characterized by great accomplishments. He was a very pious man, who served with the interests of Catholicism at his forethoughts. Although Pope Urban V was not successful at returning the Papacy to Rome, his rule brought many positive changes to the Catholic Church.

Shaun