Pope JOHN XII. a native of Cahors, before called James d'Entze, was well skilled in the civil and canon law; and was elected pope after the death of Clement V. on the 7th of August 1316. He published the constitutions called Clementines, which were made by his predecessor; and drew up the other constitutions called Extravagantes. Lewis of Bavaria being elected emperor, John XXII. opposed him in favour of his competitor; which made much noise, and was attended with fatal consequences. That prince, in 1320, caused the antipope Peter de Corbiero, a cordelier, to be elected, who took the name of Nicholas V. and was supported by Michael de Cesenno, general of his order; but that antipope was the following year taken, and carried to Avignon, where he begged pardon of the pope with a rope about his neck, and died in prison two or three years after. Under this pope arose the famous question among the cordeliers, called the bread of the cordeliers; which was, Whether those monks had the property of the things given them, at the time they were making use of them? for example, Whether the bread belonged to them when they were eating it, or to the pope, or to the Roman church? This frivolous question gave great employment to the pope; as well as those which turned upon the colour, form, and stuff, of their habits, whether they ought to be white, gray, or black; whether the cowl ought to be pointed or round, large or small; whether their robes ought to be full, short, or long; of cloth, or of serge, &c. The disputes on all these minute trifles were carried so far between the minor brothers, that some of them were burned upon the occasion. He died at Avignon in 1334, aged 90.