Antipope

Antipope, a pontiff elected in opposition to one canonically chosen. The first antipopes were Felix, during the pontificate of Liberius (352-366); Ursinus, against Damasus (366-384); and Laurentius, against Symmachus (498-514). During the middle ages several emperors of Germany set up popes against those whom the Romans had elected without consulting them. Otho the Great displaced successively two Bishops of Rome; and when the rival pope, Sylvester III., had expelled the simoniacal and profligate Benedict IX. (1033-45), the latter was brought back by the German king, and soon afterwards sold his dignity to Gregory VI. There were now, consequently, three popes, but their claims were all set aside at a council convened at Sutri by the emperor, Henry III., and a new pope elected as Clement II. in 1046. Shortly after, Pope Alexander II. found a rival in Honorius II., the nominee of the emperor; but his claim was ratified by a council convened at Mantua. In 1080 the same unseemly spectacle was witnessed, when the emperor, Henry IV., elevated to the papal chair Guibert of Ravenna, under the title of Clement III., in opposition to his own implacable adversary, Gregory VII. But after the death of Gregory (1085), Clement was himself opposed successively by Victor III. (1086-88) and Urban II. (1088-99). Innocent II. (1130-43) triumphed over the antipope Anacletus II. by the help of St Bernard; and Alexander III. during his pontificate (1159-81) had to contend with no fewer than four successive antipopes, the election of only one of whom, however, Victor V., in 1159, has any canonical validity. After a long contest, Clement V. was elected in 1305, and four years later he transferred his seat to Avignon, where his successors reigned for nearly seventy years, losing the while, by their subjection to French influences, the sympathies of Germany and England. The election of Urban VI. in 1378 occasioned 'the great schism of the West,' which divided the church for fifty years. He was elected by the Romans, who demanded an Italian pope after the death of Gregory XI. The French cardinals, then a majority in the curia, on the plea that they had elected the pope only under intimidation, withdrew to Provence, and elected a new pope under the name of Clement VII., who was recognised by France, Spain, Savoy, and Scotland; whilst Italy, Germany, England, and the whole north of Europe, supported Urban VI. For thirty-eight years Christian Europe was scandalised by the spectacle of two popes, one at Geneva, another at Rome, in turn hurling the most awful anathemas of the church at each other, like 'two dogs snarling over a bone,' in Wyclif's phrase. At the beginning of the 15th century, an attempt was made to prevail on both the rivals, Gregory XII. at Rome, and Benedict XIII. at Avignon, to renounce their claims with a view to promote union, but both evaded this as long as possible. At length, however, the cardinals attached to either court agreed to summon a general council, which met accordingly at Pisa in 1409. The council deposed both popes, and constituted the separate bodies of cardinals into one conclave, which elected Alexander V. to the papal chair. The council of Basel (1431-47), in its struggle with Pope Eugenius IV. (1431-47) for supremacy, attempted to arrogate to itself the papal functions, and proceeded to elect Amadeus of Savoy pope, as Felix V. The attempt, however, failed; the popes Eugenius IV. and Nicholas V. (1447-55) secured their authority, the ambitious council finally dissolved itself, and Felix V. resigned his empty dignity, and was raised to the rank of cardinal by the magnanimous pope himself. This was the last occasion on which the faithful were distracted by the sight of a rival pontiff within Christendom. See POPE.