After a two-and-a-half-year deadlock, the College of Cardinals, pressured by King Philippe V of France, convened in Lyon and elected Jacques d'Euse as Pope John XXII on August 7, 1316. He was enthroned and left for Avignon on September 5, where he established his residence, solidifying the Avignon Papacy. John XXII's reign was marked by conflicts with the Holy Roman Empire and the Spiritual Franciscans.

The election of Pope John XXII and the Avignon Papacy became a major subject for satirical and political poetry, with writers like Petrarch criticizing the 'Babylonian Captivity' of the Church. This period of papal history, with its emphasis on French influence, shaped the anti-curial sentiments that permeate the works of later poets and reformers. The Avignon papacy also facilitated the exchange of poetic and musical styles between France and Italy.