Cardinal Otto Colonna Is Elected Pope, Ending the Great Schism: November 11, 1417

This text comes from our book, Light to the Nations, Part I.

How to heal the Great Schism was the most important question of the time, but no one could come up with a solution. Finally, in 1394, the theology faculty at the University of Paris came up with one—have both popes resign and a new pope elected in their place. The university actually demanded that both popes resign, and the clergy of France, Bohemia, Hungary, and Navarre said they would not obey the Avignon pope until the Church was reunited. These efforts, however, came to nothing, since neither pope was willing to step down.

Statue of Antipope John XXIII

With the failure of the first attempt to heal the schism, churchmen throughout Europe came up with another solution. A general council should be called, they said, one that would if necessary depose both popes and replace them with a new pope. Just such a council met at Pisa in northern Italy in March 1409, and the 300 or so clergymen who met for the council voted to depose both popes and then elected Alexander V in their place. Alexander died the next year and was succeeded by the antipope John XXIII.

“Oh, happy choice! Peace has been restored! Oh, pacific union!” So rejoiced the University of Paris. The problem was, however, that according to Church teaching, no one—not even a council—has the authority to depose a pope. So it was that the pope in Rome and his rival in Avignon condemned the council and refused to step down. Instead of two contending popes, there were now three.

The confusion of the time gave rise to a new theory about how the Church should be governed. The theory said that a general council, not the pope, is the highest authority in the Church. This theory, called the “conciliar theory,” became popular among many churchmen, who saw in it a way to heal once and for all the schism and other ills affecting the Church.

The conciliar theory had a great influence at another council, called by the German emperor Sigismund. In 1414, churchmen representing the three factions in the Church and coming from all parts of Western Christendom streamed toward the little southern German town of Constance, where the council was to be held. Thousands—bishops, professors, royal ambassadors, and their staff and followers—were eventually crowded together in the little town, and each nobleman and prelate was escorted by a train of servants.

Pope Martin V

Gathered in Constance, the council fathers heard a list of accusations against the pope of Pisa, John XXIII. John, who was present at the council, feared what might happen to him if the fathers decided he deserved punishment. He declared under oath that he would resign as pope; but then, in disguise, he fled from Constance—thinking that without him, the council would disband. But instead of ending the council, the fathers deposed John XXIII on March 29, 1415. A few weeks later, John agreed to the council’s action. One of the three popes was thus gotten out of the way.

Upon learning that the pope in Rome, Gregory XII, had decided to abdicate, the council’s next task was to deal with Benedict XIII, the pope in Avignon. Benedict acted as if he were willing to resign; but in the end, he refused. Abandoned by all his supporters (even by St. Vincent Ferrer, who had been one of his staunchest defenders), Benedict fled to an impregnable fortress on the coast of Valencia. There he died in 1423, still claiming to be pope. The council, however, after several months of deliberation, voted on July 26, 1417, to depose Benedict, saying he was guilty of perjury (for failing to abdicate when he claimed he would) as well as schism and heresy.

With the three rival popes out of the way, the Council of Constance was free to elect a new pope. On November 11, 1417, the council fathers chose Cardinal Otto Colonna, who took the name of Martin V. The election of Pope Martin marked the end of the Great Schism.