In looking for Funny Stories in History, as directed by Editor Evan, Sara looked to the Catholic Church and its intriguing papal history.
By Sara Habibipour
The history of the Catholic Church is a lengthy one (said every history student ever). But, hidden in this history is a pretty ironic story that’s worth sharing. It all takes place during the Western Schism.
After the death of Pope Gregory XI in 1378, the open position in the papacy led to the Western Schism. Urban VI was elected as pope but soon became very unpopular among the Roman people because he was known for being “temperamental, suspicious, and reformist” (History 101).
Where did the second pope come from? “Many of the cardinals under Urban VI left Rome and appointed Robert of Geneva (who took the name Clement VII) as a rival pope in Avignon” (History 101).
The council of Pisa was held in 1409 to resolve the question of the true heir. But, wait! There’s more! Alexander V established a third papacy in Northern Italy, leading to more drastic tensions within the Catholic Church; the followers of the three popes were greatly divided along national lines and “political antagonisms arose” (Medium). All three popes claimed legitimacy to the throne of St. Peter. In an attempt to resolve this issue and claim power, they all excommunicated each other! In other words, they exiled each other from the Church; this is the worst punishment a member could possibly receive because it dooms a follower to Hell! Rather than leading to resolved conflict, this event only led to an ironic and funny story. Never before in history had three popes deemed each other as disgraces to the Church!
After three excommunications and eight years of the Council of Constance to elect a recognized pope by all, Pope Martin was elected to the papacy, effectively ending the Western Schism; there were no more arguments over who the true pope was.
Sources:
https://www.britannica.com/event/Western-Schism
https://www.history101.com/one-time-there-were-three-popes-and-they-all-excommunicated-each-other/
Image Source:
https://alchetron.com/Western-Schism
Funny Stories in History Editor: Evan Spry
Sara:
While not funny “HaHa” this is indeed an interesting and odd occurrence in the scheme of Papal successions. Isn’t it curious that these “Pope” wars seem rather intense not unlike the political battles of today? If they are indeed picked by God, maybe she wanted all three fellows at once!!!