The Power of the Cardinals: Decision-Making at the Curia in Avignon

The role of the cardinals in the development of papal policy was as crucial to the political process as it was ill-defined, both in theory and in practice. Using the pontificate of John XXII (1316-1334) as a case study, this article analyses the structural role of the cardinals in ecclesiastical government during the Avignon period, examining the political structures at the curia, as well as the individuals who interacted with and manipulated those structures. It explores the significance of consistory meetings as venues for decision-making and the formal and informal codes of conduct which governed political action at the papal court. The article will therefore shed light on the functions of the cardinals in the political process, both individually and collectively, as well as on the public and private frameworks of curial politics more generally.