Calling of The Council
Pope Clement V caused the council to meet by issuing the bulls Faciens misericordiam and Regnans in coelis in August 1308. The city chosen was Vienne which is on the Rhône River in Southern France (not Vienna, Austria) and at the time was outside the direct control of Philip IV. The neutral setting was intended to give the impression of independent action.
The main item on agenda of council not only cited the Order of Knights Templar itself, but also "its lands", which indicated that further seizures of property were proposed. However the agenda also invited archbishops and prelates to bring proposals for improvements in the life of the Church.
Special notice were sent to the Templars directing them to send suitable defensores (defenders) to the council. The Grand Master Jacques de Molay and others had also been commanded to appear in person. However Molay was already imprisoned in Paris and trials of other Templars were already in progress. This delayed the opening of the council which finally convened in 16 October 1311. The attendees consisted of twenty cardinals, four patriarchs, about one hundred archbishops and bishops, plus several abbots and priors.
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