Philip of Majorca

He was born into the exceptionally devout Roman Catholic House of Barcelona: his grandfather King James I resigned his crowns to become a Cistercian monk, his eldest brother James renounced his succession rights and joined the Franciscan order, and his sister Sancha's desire to enter a religious order prompted her to seek a dissolution of her marriage to King Robert of Naples.

Philip proved to impress Angelo da Clareno, and maintained close contact with the Fraticelli leader in the following years.

[2] Clareno in a letter to his followers compared the young prince directly to Jesus Christ, and St. Francis of Assisi.Following his studies, Philip became treasurer of Tours Cathedral, and later held certain canonries.

[1] Encouraged by Angelo da Clareno in the summers of 1316 and 1317, Philip began musing about founding a new religious order based on the rule of Saint Francis.

[3] He requested repeatedly and resolutely, but ultimately unsuccessfully, that Pope John XXII formally recognize the "Brothers of the Poor Life" – the group led by him and his friend.

Nevertheless, within a year of his nephew's contested accession, Philip managed to persuade the King of Aragon to drop his pretensions, receiving the renunciation signed and sealed.

[3] No longer involved in state affairs, Philip left Majorca and moved to the Neapolitan court of his sister and brother-in-law, where he spent the rest of his life.

[4] The queen hosted Philip's entourage in the Castel Nuovo, and they became acquainted with the spiritual leaders Andreas de Gagliano and Robert of Mileto.

Encouraged by the subtle hostility of King Robert's court towards the papacy, Philip openly attacked Pope John XXII in a sermon, asserting that, papal decrees notwithstanding, the existence of the "Brothers of the poor Life" was the realization of the Gospel.