The Council of Constance

The Council of Constance was summoned by John XXIII, the Pisan pope, with the support of Emperor Sigismund. It began on November 5, 1414 in the cathedral of Constance, with many bishops from all parts of Europe in attendance. Business in the council was transacted in a way that was largely new for an ecumenical council, namely votes were cast not by Individual persons but by nations.

The council proposed to deal with the three matters of great importance:

  1. It proposed to bring unity back to the church. Specifically, to make an end to the Great Schism which had divided the church since 1378. A Council held at Pisa in 1409 had not healed this division, but aggravated by electing Alexander V as a third pope. When the council of Constance opened, Christians owed obedience to three different popes: some owed obedience to Gregory XII of the Roman party, others to Benedict XIII of the Avignon party, and others to John XXIII, who had been elected after the death of Alexander V. John XXIII and Benedict XIII were deposed by the council, Gregory XII voluntarily resigned. Martin V was elected pope on November 11, 1417. He was regarded as the legitimate pontiff by the church as a whole, and the schism was healed.
  2. It proposed to eradicate "heresies", especially those spread by John Wyclif in Britain and by John Hus and Jerome of Prague in Bohemia.
  3. It proposed to reform the corrupt morals of the church.

Naturally, there is much disagreement over whether or not the Council succeeded in accomplishing these last two goals!


Worth@NPMC.Org