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Western Schism Papal System
After the papal schism of 1378, a system of dual (later triple) rival popes emerged: Rome and Avignon each had their own pope, each denying the other…
Timeline
- 1378–1389Rome · LazioAfter Urban VI was elected in Rome, some cardinals refused to recognize him; the cardinals departed for Avignon and elected Clement VII, creating a Roman-Avignon dual papacy, with various states choosing sides according to political interests.
- 1401–1410Rome and Avignon · ProvenceThe schism entered a second generation of rival popes: Benedict XIII in Avignon and the Roman papacy mutually denounced each other; France, Castile, and others adhered to Avignon, while England and most of the Holy Roman Empire recognized Rome; church finances and crusading appeal continued to suffer.
- 1409–1417Pisa and Constance · TuscanyUniversities and cardinals promoted the route of 'resolving the schism through a general council': the 1409 Council of Pisa deposed both popes and elected Alexander V, but instead produced three coexisting popes; this laid the path for the 1414–1417 Council of Constance to end the schism.
Sources
- The Oxford Dictionary of Popes — J. N. D. Kelly (2010)
- A History of the Church in the Middle Ages — F. Donald Logan (2002)