The Avignon Papacy is the duration of time from 1309-77 when the popes of the catholic papal in Rome made their official residence in Avignon instead of Rome. It has also been referred to as "Babylonian captivity", making references to the lifestyle of the people of Babylon with that of the popes in Avignon. They indulged in a lifestyle of worldly pleasures which is quite ironic with their position and purpose. This lavish lifestyle during the Avignon papacy drew lots of criticism from all angles, including St. Catherine of Sienna. She sent a letter to Pope Gregory VI to try to persuade the shifting of the papacy from Avignon back to Rome, it's official place of residence.
