The Council of Pisa
Pisa Cathedral · March–August 1409 · summoned by the cardinals, not a pope · an attempt to end the Great Schism that deepened it.
Since 1378 Western Christendom had been split between two lines of popes, one in Rome and one in Avignon, each excommunicating the other. In 1408 cardinals from both obediences abandoned their masters and summoned a council on their own authority. The leading theologians of the conciliar movement, among them Pierre d’Ailly, supported it.
On June 5, 1409, the council deposed both Gregory XII of Rome and Benedict XIII of Avignon as schismatics and heretics, and on June 26 the cardinals elected Peter Philargi, archbishop of Milan, as Alexander V. Neither deposed pope yielded. The church now had three.
Principal Acts
- Asserted the authority of a council over rival popes.
- Deposed Gregory XII and Benedict XIII.
- Elected Alexander V, succeeded in 1410 by John XXIII.
- Lacked the power to enforce its decisions.
Why It Matters
Pisa put conciliar theory into practice: a council acting against popes to save the church. It failed, but the principle it acted on carried directly into Constance five years later, and in 1518 and 1520 Luther appealed from the pope to a future general council on the same ground.
Status. Rome does not count Pisa an ecumenical council and reckons Alexander V and John XXIII antipopes. That is why Angelo Roncalli could take the name John XXIII on his election in 1958.
The Medieval Councils
- 1123Lateran I
- 1139Lateran II
- 1179Lateran III
- 1215Lateran IV
- 1245Lyons I
- 1274Lyons II
- 1311Vienne
- 1409Pisa
- 1414Constance
- 1431Basel–Ferrara–Florence
- 1512Lateran V
- 1545Trent
