From the desk of the pastor for Oct. 26, 2025

The Lord be with you! Returning to the upheaval of the late fourteenth century, the Catholic Church suffered the Western Schism. Although we cannot understand all the politics involved, we can appreciate the tremendous stress of power for the popes.

After Pope Gregory XI’s death in 1378, a conclave was held, and Pope Urban VI was elected. Pope Urban VI was Italian and wanted the papacy to remain in Rome - Gregory XI had planned on returning to Avignon before his death. Accordingly, the French Cardinals accused the Roman curia of using violence and intimidation to force the election of Urban VI.

Many of the cardinals from other countries agreed, and another conclave was held. This conclave elected Clement VII on September 20, 1378. Now the Church had real problems: two popes and each of them had armies. After losing the Battle of Marino, Clement VII retreated to Naples where he thought he would find refuge. Instead, the crowds chanted, “Death to the antichrist” and “Long Live Pope Urban.” Clement wisely decided that Italy was not the place to be and established his papacy in Avignon under the King of France’s protection. France, Spain, and southern Italy favored Clement VII and the Avignon papacy whereas northern Italy, England, Denmark, Hungary, and Poland favored Urban VI in Rome. The Holy Roman Empire (Germany) and Portugal kept switching sides.

The schism continued after the deaths of the two popes. Part of the issue was that a general council needed to be called by the pope, and neither pope wanted to support a council called by the other. By 1405 both Pope Gregory XII (successor to the Roman line) and Pope Benedict XIII (successor to the Avignon line) wanted the controversy to end. Their initial meeting ended without success so all the Church’s cardinals met in Pisa in 1409. It went poorly. Instead of resolving the controversy, the cardinals elected Alexander V as pope much to Gregory and Benedict’s consternation. Alexander would only live a year, and his successor John XXIII wanted this mess cleaned up.

Over the next three years Popes Gregory and John cooperated to end the schism. Lasting for three years the Council of Constance even claimed authority over popes - a position later condemned by the Church. The Council of Constance recognized Pope Gregory, and Pope John was detained and lost his office. Gregory then resigned, and Pope Martin was elected with the full support of the cardinals. That left Pope Benedict in Avignon who would not give up power - even though no cardinal supported him. He would die in 1423 and be succeeded by Pope Clement VIII. Pope Clement resigned his office in 1429 and recognized Pope Martin.

The lasting effect of the Western Schism was a huge mistrust of general councils. The papacy learned the tough lesson that sharing power can lead to chaos. When the Church desperately needed a general council, they would be slow to have one. An even greater split happened a century later: the Protestant Reformation.

In His Sacred Heart,
Fr. John