Clement VII Becomes the “Antipope”
The rise of Clement VII as the "Antipope" marks a significant period of division within the Roman Catholic Church known as the Great Schism, which began on September 20, 1378. This schism originated from the contested election of Pope Urban VI, who was seen by many as mentally unstable. In response to Urban's election, a group of discontented French cardinals elected Robert of Geneva as Clement VII, who then established his papacy in Avignon, France, with the support of the French king and many cardinals. While Urban VI held the Vatican, Clement VII was recognized as the legitimate pope by France and several other nations, leading to the designation of "Antipope." Despite Clement VII's death in 1394, the schism persisted, resulting in the election of additional antipopes until 1417. Attempts to resolve the conflict, including a council in Pisa in 1409, only exacerbated the situation by introducing a third pope. Ultimately, the Council of Constance, which began in 1414, succeeded in unifying the factions by electing Pope Martin V in 1417, thus ending the Great Schism. It is important to note that there was also a Pope Clement VII in the 16th century, who did not recognize his namesake as a legitimate pope due to the schism.
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Clement VII Becomes the “Antipope”
Clement VII Becomes the “Antipope”
A period of division in the Roman Catholic Church known as the Great Schism began on September 20, 1378, when Robert of Geneva was elected Pope Clement VII by some disaffected French cardinals at Fondi, Italy. The division began with the contested election in that same year of Pope Urban VI, who was considered by many to be mentally disturbed. At the time, France was a powerful force in papal affairs, and so the French king together with many of his cardinals not only supported the election of Clement VII but had him take up residence in the border town of Avignon under their protection. Urban VI took his seat at the Vatican in Rome, but Clement VII was recognized as the legitimate pope by France and many other nations, thereby earning him the nickname “Antipope.”
Clement died in 1394 but the Great Schism did not end; he was followed by more antipopes until 1417. A church council that was convened at Pisa, Italy, in 1409 to resolve the dispute only made matters worse by leading to the election of a third pope. Finally the Council of Constance, which began in 1414, led to the election in 1417 of a new pope named Martin V, who was recognized by all the various factions as legitimate and so ended the Schism.
Readers should be aware that there was another Pope Clement VII in the 16th century, who held office from 1523 to 1534 and took that title because the papacy did not regard the “antipope” Clement VII as in the true line of popes.