in the discussion held over the election of a future pope, they could certainly have agreed on others more conspicuous for the repute of their great merits...", in other words, there were a number of possible candidates. The Cistercian cardinal, Jacques Fournier, was elected on the evening of 20 December 1334, after Vespers, on the eighth day of the conclave. The election of Fournier happened as the result of an accident. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia: Papal policy and activity Benedict XII was a reforming pope who did not carry out the policies of his predecessor. He chose to make peace with Holy Roman Emperor Louis IV, and as far as possible came to terms with the Franciscans, who were then at odds with the Roman See. He tried to curb the luxuries of the monastic orders, though without much success. He also ordered the construction of the Palais des Papes in Avignon. Benedict spent most of his time working on questions of theology. He rejected many of the ideas developed by John XXII. In this regard, he promulgated an apostolic constitution, Benedictus Deus, in 1336. This dogma defined the Church's belief that the souls of the departed go to their eternal reward immediately after death, as opposed to remaining in a state of unconscious existence until the Last Judgment. Though some claim that he campaigned against the Immaculate Conception, this is far from clear. He engaged in long theological debates with other noted figures of the age, such as William of Ockham and Meister Eckhart. Though born a Frenchman, Benedict felt no patriotism towards France nor its king, Philip VI. From the start of his papacy, relations between him and Philip were frigid. After being informed of Philip's plan to invade Scotland, Benedict hinted that King Edward III of England would most likely win, regardless. Works See also List of popes References Bibliography [1333-1356] Guillemain, B. (1952). La politique bénéficiale du Pape Benoît XII. Paris: École des Hautes Études. Mahn, J. B. (1950). Le Pape Benoit XII et les Cisterciens. Paris: École des Hautes études. Melville, G. (1982). "Source Documents on the Pontificate of Benedict XII," in: Historisches Jahrbuch 102 (1982), pp. 144-182. Vidal, Jean-Marie (1905). "Notice sur les oeuvres du Pape Benoit XII." in: Revue d'histoire écclesiastique 6 (1905), pp. 557-565. Further reading Murphy, Cullen. God's Jury, - The Inquisition and the Making of the Modern World''. New