The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-21
QUERIES AND
......ANsWERS
The Pope.

WIN Ou hlHuty lut Io''oN'''tt
formation In next Sundays paper for mo:
Was there ever time IN tho history
Of the Roman Catholic Church. wnem
there was moro than ono Pope III Once
II SO, how many, and give names. II possi-
ble What was tho condition ofS he IA
pacy at that time?
A CONSTANT READER.
Your question s answered In tho fol-
lowing extract from u little volume enti-
tied. "A Popular Manual Of Churoh His
tory" with the imprimatur OF Cardinal
wiseman and published in London:
Pope Clement ". who was native
OF France, was driven by the violence OF
the Italian mobiles to fix his nhode at
Avlgnon. In 1909, and his successors zoe
lowed his example Italy suffered sreatAy
from tho absence OF the Popes; and Rome,
in particular, was torn by con ending
factions. There was one universal ana
eager cry for the return of the Sovereign
Pontiff to his own SEQ.
AT length. in 1877. Gregory Nj. yielded
to tho entreaties OF tho people. and was
welcomed at Rome with extraordinary
enthusiasm. After his death, the Roman
people, apprehending that II tno new Pope
was a Frenchman. he would return to
AviGnon, collected round tho building III
which the cardinals were assembled. and
shouted, I'VE will have Roman Pope!
The terrified cardinals haSt.ly
elected the Archbishop OF Bari. who took
the name OF Urban vi. They shortly NJ
forwards deliberately confirmed the eleo-
ton, and were all present at the POPE
enthronazion.
Urban. though remarkable for the
piety and austerity of his life, and his
zeal against abuses, was unhappily
man of stern and inflexlble character;
and his severity soon alienated The ma
jority of those who had elected him. All
the cardinals, with the exception OF four
who were natives of Italy, retired from
Rome. They declared that their cleo
ton was null and void, as having been
made under compulsion, and chose an
other Pope under the name OF Clement
VII.
This unhappy event threw the church
into confusion. Christendom was divid-
ed between the two Popes. Clement was
recognized In France, Spain, Scotland ana
Sicily: while Urban was supported and
obeyed In England. Hungary. Bohemia
and parts of Germany. The
schism was perpetuated by the ad err
ents of each Pontiff electing n successor
on the Qeatn OF tne Respective Cih iiiaHts
of the Papal throne.
AT length the cardinals and prelates
Of both parties met in synod at Pisa.
with the hope of extinguishing tire
schism. They took upon themselves to
depose both the existing claims, without
however. deciding on their respective
pretensions, and by tho same essum d
authority, electd Alexander V. as Pore
Their motive was good, but the act was
irregular; and the effect was merely to,
Increase the confusion that preya led
Instead of two. there were now three
claimants OF the Papacy.t
IAN the obstacles interposad
by human passion or policy were renlov-
ed by a council held with the concur
renee of all three claimants. at Con
stance. in l414, Mt which Gregory XII
Urban's successor. and therefore law
full Pope, voluntarily resigned: the two
anti-Popes. John xxi and Benedit
XIII, were deDosed, and n new Pope
was elected. who took the name of Mar
tin V. Benedict obst!nately persisted TO
the last in asserting his unlawful clamor
and died In schism.
1T is worthy of notice that the Council
OF Constance became really genera
council, and not a mere assembly OF car
dinals and bishops, only by the act OF
Gregory conyoking 1t, and authorizing
10 pAoSeeuiiSs peioEe TeSlSHluB lHe .Ia-
pacy.
II should be observed also,-that, al
though opinions differed as to the right
of the several claimants. there was but
one belief as to the authority of the
Apostolic See, and the necessity OF I'M
ion with 1t. Hence this disastrous schism
was less injurious to Individual Chris
tons than many lesser scandals. And
this is noticed by ST. Antonious, arch
bishop OF Florence, who wrote about the
middle of the following century, 1T Is
he says, that a person
might belong to one or the other patty
in perfect sincerity, and with safe
for, although 1t is necessary
to believe that there is, and can be, bit
one visible head of the church, it Is not
necessary to believe that this or that
rival claimant is the legitimate Pope
All that is necessary to be believed is,
that the true and lawful Pope is he who
has been canonicalIy elected: and an or
binary Christian is not obliged to dis
cover which election has been canonica!.
He may safely follow the opinion ana
conduct OF his pastor"