Robert of Geneva, (french: Robert de Genève; 1342 – 16 September 1394) elected to the papacy as Clement VII (french: Clément VII) by the
cardinals who opposed
Pope Urban VI, was the first
antipope
An antipope ( la, antipapa) is a person who makes a significant and substantial attempt to occupy the position of Bishop of Rome and leader of the Catholic Church in opposition to the legitimately elected pope. At times between the 3rd and mid- ...
residing in
Avignon
Avignon (, ; ; oc, Avinhon, label=Provençal dialect, Provençal or , ; la, Avenio) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Vaucluse Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region of So ...
,
France. His election led to the
Western Schism.
The son of
Amadeus III, Count of Geneva, Robert became
Archbishop of Cambrai and was made a cardinal in 1371. As legate, during the
War of the Eight Saints, he is said to have authorized the massacre of over 2,000 civilians at
Cesena in 1377. He was elected pope the following year by the cardinals who opposed Urban VI and established himself at Avignon.
Biography
Robert was born in the
Chateau d'Annecy in 1342, the son of
Amadeus III, Count of Geneva, and Mahaut de Boulogne.
was his maternal uncle. Robert studied at
La Sorbonne in Paris. In 1359, he was appointed prothonotary Apostolic, became
Bishop of Thérouanne in 1361, Archbishop of Cambrai in 1368, and a
cardinal
Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to:
Animals
* Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds
**''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae
**''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...
on 30 May 1371. From 1373 he held the position of