Why did Philip IV of France arrest Bernard Saisset, bishop of Pamiers?

In October 1301, King Philip IV of France arrested Bernard Saisset, the bishop of Pamiers, on charges of treason, simony, heresy, and blasphemy.1

Saisset was a protégé of Pope Boniface VIII, and his arrest served as a flashpoint in the broader, escalating conflict between the French monarchy and the papacy. This power struggle was primarily driven by Philip IV’s attempts to tax the clergy without papal consent, which directly challenged the Pope's authority and led to the issuance of the papal bull Clericis laicos. By targeting Saisset, Philip IV asserted his temporal authority over a high-ranking church official, further straining relations that would eventually culminate in the Avignon papacy.12