In the history of Christianity, there was a special period known as the "popeless era". This does not mean that there really was no pope during this period, but that the authority and status of the pope were seriously questioned and challenged during this period. So, what period does "papal age" refer to?
Background:
In the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church was the most powerful religious and political force in Europe. The Pope, as the supreme leader of the Church, is not only a spiritual leader, but also wields enormous influence in secular affairs. This influence made the pope a major ally or rival of the princes of Europe.
By the end of the 13th century, tensions intensified, especially between the Pope and the French royal family. King Philip IV of France had a serious conflict with Pope Bonifacius VIII.
Philip IV adopted a confrontational strategy, ordering the arrest of the pope in 1303. Although Bonifacius was soon released, the event profoundly affected the relationship between the pope and the kings.
The culmination of this power struggle was the Pope's Avignon migration. In 1309, to escape the turmoil and political pressure of Rome, Pope Clement V decided to move the Holy See from Rome to Avignon, France.
This migration lasted about 70 years, during which seven popes served in Avignon. During this period, the Pope was strongly influenced by the French royal family and eventually manipulated by the French king to become a puppet.
Origins of the papal era:
In 1378, Pope Gregory XI died, and the Christian church fell into an unprecedented crisis. Gregory XI had moved the Holy See from Avignon back to Rome before his death, a move that was warmly welcomed in Rome and throughout Italy.
Therefore, when the new pope was elected, the Roman population and many cardinals strongly demanded that the new pope be a Roman. Under such pressure, Bartolomeo Prinacheni was finally elected as the new pope, Urban VI.
However, Urban VI treated the cardinal very harshly, and his leadership was seen as arrogant and tyrannical. This has led to the dissatisfaction of most cardinals, who believe that the election was conducted under strong pressure and therefore may not be legitimate.
This discontent soon turned into an open confrontation, and a few months later, a section of cardinals convened a council in Avignon, which declared Urban VI illegal and elected another pope, Clement VII.
In this way, Christianity will have an unprecedented situation: two popes exist at the same time, each claiming to be the only legitimate pope, and cursing the other.
This phenomenon of dual popes profoundly undermined the authority of the pope and the unity of the Church, laying a solid foundation for the later "popeless era" and opening up a nearly forty-year religious, political, and power struggle.
Papal divisions and influences:
When two popes emerged, Urban VI and Clément VII appeared in Christianity, the religious landscape of Europe fell into chaos. This phenomenon of dual popes is not only a religious issue, but also a deep political and social crisis.
European countries were forced to choose between two popes, often not based solely on faith or doctrine, but closely related to geopolitics, economic interests, and foreign relations.
For example, France and allied countries supported Clément VII of Avignon, while England, Germany, much of Italy supported Urban VI of Rome.
The Pope was originally the spiritual leader of medieval Europe and a symbol of authority. But the current division has cast doubt on the pope and his authority, further exacerbating tensions between secular and religious.
At the same time, the schism had a profound impact on the structure and organization of the Christian church, and the need for dioceses and monasteries to choose which pope to be loyal to, leading to internal divisions and strife.
In 1409 AD, the situation became more complicated. At a council in Pisa, the clergy tried to resolve the schism, but the result was the election of a third pope, Alexander V. This means that there are three popes at this time who claim to be legitimate popes at the same time.
Re-unification:
Faced with the political and religious chaos caused by the papal schism that lasted for nearly four decades, the Christian church urgently needed to find a solution. The restoration of the unity and authority of the Church became the common goal of all European forces at that time.
In 1414 AD, the Council of Konstanz was held in Germany, an important meeting to solve the problem of the papal schism. The scale and impact of the conference was enormous, attracting cardinals, clergy, royals and academics from all over Europe.
The Council of Konstanz first declared that any existing pope must abdicate to make way for a new unified pope. Under strong pressure, both Gregory XII of Rome and John XXIII of Pisa abdicated, and Benedict XIII of Avignon refused to abdicate and was eventually deposed by the council.
In 1417, Otto Korner was elected as the new pope, Mardin V, marking the official end of the papal schism and the reunification of the church. Mardin V was recognized by most of the European countries, thus re-establishing the authority and status of the pope.
The Council of Konstanz not only addressed the papal schism, but also carried out a series of ecclesiastical reforms in an attempt to address corruption within the church. This conference had a profound impact on European history in the late Middle Ages, laying the foundation for the later Reformation.
The papal era, also known as the Papal Schism, was a dark period in Christian history. It is not just a religious issue, but more of a clash of power and geopolitics. At the same time, it laid the foundation for the later Reformation and provided profound historical lessons for political and religious relations in modern Europe.