Council of Constancy

The council of Constancy (1414 - 1418) is, for the Roman Catholic church, oecumenical XVIe Concile, convened by the emperor Sigismond I {{er}} and the Antipape Jean XXIII. Chaired by the cardinal Jean Allarmet de Brogny, it put an end to the Great Schism of Occident.

Context

Following the Council of Pisa of 1409, the Catholic church was found with three popes at his head: Alexandre V, Benoit XIII and Gregoire XII. In general confusion, the Emperor chooses to replace the Sacré failing College, as some canonists conferred the right of it to him. Jean XXIII, successor of Alexandre V, provides him the occasion of it: he was overcome by the king of Naples, Ladislas I {{er}}, in favor of Gregoire XII, and had to take refuge at the imperial court. Sigismond accepted provided that a council were held in a town of Empire. It could thus announce that on November 1st 1414, the council would meet in Constance.

The council

Sigismond made sure then of the success of the future council. In front of the resistance of Jean XXIII and his Italian partisans, it modified the way of voting. The vote by nation replaced the vote per capita, leaving in Italy only one vote. Including/understanding his failure, Jean XXIII flees the March 20th 1415. The Fathers of the council adopted the April 6th the decree Hæc sancta , affirming the superiority of the council on the pope. Jean XXIII and Gregoire XII inclined themselves and dislocated themselves. Sigismond advanced its troops in Spain and in Portugal, crushing the partisans of Benoit XIII.

Before proceeding to a new election, the Fathers of the council made sure of their independence as a voter the October 30th 1417 the decree Frequens . This one laid out that the council would again meet in 1423, then in 1430, then every ten years as from this date. Consequently, the council was not subjected any more to goodwill of the pope. this made, the council elected the November 11th, day of the holy Martin, the Romain Oddone Colonna, who took the name of Martin V. This one, rejecting the calls of France to gain Avignon, and those of the Emperor to choose a town of Empire, chooses to leave for Rome, where it entered the May 16th 1418. The council took then fine.

Posterity

The council of Constancy, by its decree Frequens , envisages the periodic behavior of a council. It will be thus at the origin of the Concile of Basle (1431 - 1449) which will support the Conciliarisme.

See too

External bonds

the council of Constancy (1414-1418)
Council of Constancy - 1414 - 1418 - sixteenth ecumenical council
XVe century: the conciliar crisis