The Western Schism of 1378 Quotes

“One of those captured was d'Ailly, as ordered by Louis of Anjou and the future king of Naples, on the charge of blasphemy, as well as conspiracy to create a governmental body above the Holy Office. Royal decrees were swiftly issued, prohibiting all discussion and mention of the general council, or “via concilii” on campus.  Spooked, the theology department was left with no other alternative but to rein it in. In 1383, the University of Paris officially declared their support for Antipope Clement VII of Avignon. Though”
― Charles River Editors, The Western Schism of 1378: The History and Legacy of the Papal Schism that Split the Catholic Church

“Compromise, the university theologians believed, was the only way to reunite the broken Church. In 1381, John Gerson and Pierre d'Ailly, 2 high-ranking members of the theology department, spearheaded the vision for this platform. They argued for the creation of a general Church council, which some say, was much too ambitious a venture. The council would be granted authority over the popes in question via a court of sorts, and a verdict, or conclusion to the conundrum, would be reached by those on the board.”
― Charles River Editors, The Western Schism of 1378: The History and Legacy of the Papal Schism that Split the Catholic Church

“The popes detested one another, and made no efforts in hiding their disdain for the other. Following Antipope Clement's coronation, the popes excommunicated each other with no hesitation. On one end, Clement branded Urban as the “Antichrist.” St. Catherine of Siena made light of the French cardinals' hypocrisy, naming them “devils in human form.” Pope”
― Charles River Editors, The Western Schism of 1378: The History and Legacy of the Papal Schism that Split the Catholic Church

“September 20, 1378, with the full support of King Charles, Roberto Visconti, the so-called “bandit,” was elected as the Antipope Clement VII, with his court to be established in Avignon in June of the next year. There, he would live in the lap of luxury, accompanied by a regal entourage and pampered by obedient page boys and dozens of shapely mistresses.”
― Charles River Editors, The Western Schism of 1378: The History and Legacy of the Papal Schism that Split the Catholic Church

“Fearing for his life, Urban stayed put. He publicly blasted the French cardinals and attempted to revoke their titles, breaking records by appointing 26 new cardinals in a single day. A jurist named Baldus jumped to Urban's defense in a treatise, in which he stated that there were “no grounds on which the cardinals could repudiate a pope once they had elected him, and none on which the Church as a whole could depose him, except persistent and open heresy.” Though Urban's shortcomings could create a list that might have run on for miles, he could not be found guilty of the aforementioned crimes. It”
― Charles River Editors, The Western Schism of 1378: The History and Legacy of the Papal Schism that Split the Catholic Church

“As the story goes, the cardinals began to regret their decision the very night of Pope Urban VI's coronation. During the celebratory feast that evening, the cardinals caught more than a glimpse of the ferocious nature the former archbishop had so expertly hidden. There, it was said that the small, stocky man wolfed down more alcohol than any of the cardinals combined, incessantly cracking inappropriate remarks”
― Charles River Editors, The Western Schism of 1378: The History and Legacy of the Papal Schism that Split the Catholic Church

“Yet again, the protesters took to the palace. A witness recalled the commotion, “In a fury, the mob now began throwing stones at the windows of the palace and attacking the doors with picks and axes. There was no effective defending force; the crowd stormed in.” With Prignano stowed away at the Vatican, the panicking cardinals grabbed Tebaldeschi, clothed him in pontifical robes, and unveiled him to the crowd. The somewhat senile 80-year-old had been thrashing and flailing all the way. In hindsight, they should have heeded his objections, for when he was presented to the rabble, he began to rant and rave about demons, spitting and spewing curses at anyone who approached him.”
― Charles River Editors, The Western Schism of 1378: The History and Legacy of the Papal Schism that Split the Catholic Church

“They needed to nip the resistance in the bud, as things were sure to worsen. After weighing out the pros and cons of the potential candidates, Pedro de Luna, the Cardinal Deacon of the Santa Maria in Cosmedin, suggested 60-year-old Bartolomeo Prignano, the Naples-born Archbishop of Bari. Luna portrayed Prignano as a “saintly, learned man.”
― Charles River Editors, The Western Schism of 1378: The History and Legacy of the Papal Schism that Split the Catholic Church

“The conclave, or the convention of cardinals for the election of the pope, met in 1378 for the first time in about 7 decades, but on the day of the election, an unruly mob burst through the polished wooden gates of the Lateran Palace. This was where Pope Gregory had previously resided”
― Charles River Editors, The Western Schism of 1378: The History and Legacy of the Papal Schism that Split the Catholic Church

“In 1376, Pope Gregory responded to the betrayal with a bull of excommunication, singling out the “otto dei preti,” or “8 priests,” as well as the “otto della guerra.” When Bernabo received his, he was said to have flown into such a rage that he temporarily held the 2 papal officials who bore the bad news hostage. Only upon consuming the papers they had attempted to serve him, down to their seals and the silk cords that bound them, would they be released. He was later deposed and imprisoned by his nephew several years later for unrelated matters, his captivity cut short by a lethal dose of poison injected into his drink. Apart”
― Charles River Editors, The Western Schism of 1378: The History and Legacy of the Papal Schism that Split the Catholic Church

“In an attempt to prematurely eject Gregory from his coveted papal throne, Bernabo partnered with the leaders of Florence in July of 1375 to form an 8-person committee called the “Otto della Guerra” (“8 Men of War”). Together, the group orchestrated a chain of revolts across Italian cities in the name of their cause, eventually turning the whole of the Roman Vatican against Gregory. This riotous period became known as the “War of the 8 Saints.” That”
― Charles River Editors, The Western Schism of 1378: The History and Legacy of the Papal Schism that Split the Catholic Church

“as Barbara Tuchman, author of Distant Mirror, put it, “clerical celibacy was a joke.” Despite the previous ban on clerical marriages, nuns, monks, cardinals, priests, and other representatives of the holy cloth were frequently fraternizing in impious ways.”
― Charles River Editors, The Western Schism of 1378: The History and Legacy of the Papal Schism that Split the Catholic Church

“To collect the funding required to erect the papal capital in France, the French popes cut every corner they could, docking pay from parish priests and taxing bishops heavily. Under the loosening authority, the papacy encouraged the use of simony and indulgences, as well as the sale of relics, pearly gate passes, and ecclesiastical seats. ”
― Charles River Editors, The Western Schism of 1378: The History and Legacy of the Papal Schism that Split the Catholic Church

“In 1309, he made the pivotal decision to move the Curia, or the papal administration, to Avignon, France, where the next 6 popes would reside until 1376. This ushered in what was dubbed the “Avignon Papacy,” but to others, this was the “Babylonian Captivity,” as christened by Italian writer Francesco Petrarch,”
― Charles River Editors, The Western Schism of 1378: The History and Legacy of the Papal Schism that Split the Catholic Church

“That said, Benedict was determined to somewhat even the score, which he attempted by excommunicating Nogaret and the Italians who had taken part in Boniface's assault. The expulsion of the king's cronies did not sit well with Philip. Curiously, just 8 months into Benedict's papacy, he suddenly fell ill and was killed by the unnamed disease. This sparked a new wave of rumors that suggested it had been Nogaret who had poisoned Benedict.”
― Charles River Editors, The Western Schism of 1378: The History and Legacy of the Papal Schism that Split the Catholic Church

“It was then that Boniface issued the most scandalous papal bull of the Middle Ages – the Unam Sanctam of 1302: “We state, declare, and define that it is absolutely necessary for salvation that every human creature be subject to the Roman Pontiff.” Boniface went on to declare himself the genuine descendant of St. Peter, cementing the pope's supreme authority over all kings and their people.”
― Charles River Editors, The Western Schism of 1378: The History and Legacy of the Papal Schism that Split the Catholic Church

“Humiliated, Boniface issued the papal bull, “Clerics Laicos,” in response. The bull declared that kings who taxed clergy without papal permission would be promptly excommunicated, along with their kingdoms. In the same breath, it was made clear that anyone who dared pay tribute behind the pope’s back would face the same fate.”
― Charles River Editors, The Western Schism of 1378: The History and Legacy of the Papal Schism that Split the Catholic Church

“To say Pope Boniface VIII was a controversial pope would be putting it lightly. For one, the man had his fair share of critics, some of whom called him the “Magnanimus Peccator” (“Great-Hearted Sinner”). Others candidly blamed him for the papacy's demise. The sentiments of Dante Alighieri, the author of Dante's Inferno, were not any kinder; Dante claimed that the pope had “turned Peter's burial place into a sewer.”
― Charles River Editors, The Western Schism of 1378: The History and Legacy of the Papal Schism that Split the Catholic Church

“Next came the ban on clerical marriages in 1079, which some said, on top of purifying the clergy, was published to prevent the families of insubordinate clergymen from revolting against him. As Europe entered the 14th century, this period of reformation and centralization of authority within the Church went from stagnancy to a state of decay,”
― Charles River Editors, The Western Schism of 1378: The History and Legacy of the Papal Schism that Split the Catholic Church

“I have the authority of the King of Kings. I am all in all, and above all, so that God Himself and I, the Vicar of Christ, have but one consistory, and I am able to do almost all that God can do. What therefore, can you make of me but God?” – Pope Boniface VIII To”
― Charles River Editors, The Western Schism of 1378: The History and Legacy of the Papal Schism that Split the Catholic Church

“Some pinned the blame on the corruption of the Church, believing that the divine institution's fall from grace had tainted their pleas and prayers in the eyes of the Lord. The”
― Charles River Editors, The Western Schism of 1378: The History and Legacy of the Papal Schism that Split the Catholic Church