(1310-1370) Guillaume de Grimoard was born to nobility at Grisac Castle in Languedoc, France. He became a Benedictine monk and priest, earned a doctorate in Canon law, and taught at Montpellier, Paris, and Avignon in France. Guillaume served as a prior and abbot at various Benedictine monasteries, vicar general in various dioceses, Procurator-General for the Order of Saint Benedict, and a papal nuncio in Italy. When Guillame was elected pope, he had to be consecrated as a bishop first and took the name Urban. He was the sixth pope to reside in Avignon, France, rather than in Rome, despite being bishop of that city. Pope Urban V moved the papacy back to Rome after being urged to do so by Saints Bridget of Sweden and Catherine of Siena.
Moving the papacy to France was the result of political entanglement with the French Crown. The 10th Tradition of 12-step fellowships states, “[The fellowship] has no opinion on outside issues; hence the [fellowship] name ought never be drawn into public controversy.” How do you keep outside issues from affecting your recovery fellowship?
“Discipline is the companion of wisdom” (Pope Blessed Urban V).
Reflection by Brad Farmer