HOW 3 COMPETING POPES GAVE RISE TO THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION

As Roman Catholic cardinals choose a new pope, it is an appropriate time to remember that the papal office has a long history of mystery, intrigue, and scandal. One of the most scandalous periods of Roman Catholicism was when there were three popes at the same time, with each excommunicating the other two and condemning them to hell.

This scandalous schism began in 1305 when a Frenchman, Clement V, was elected pope but refused to move his residency to Rome. Instead, he established the papal residence and apparatus in the French city of Avignon. As a result, a total of seven popes reigned in Avignon from 1309-1377.

In 1377, Pope Gregory XI moved the papacy back to Rome but died shortly thereafter. His successor, Urban VI, showed such mental disturbance that a group of cardinals elected another pope, Clement VII, who took up residence back in Avignon. Urban VI, however, refused to give up his papal office and so the Catholic Church had two popes, one in Rome and one in Avignon.

Each pope excommunicated the other and each condemned the other to hell. As a result, there were now two colleges of cardinals, two curias, and two financial systems. According to the Catholic theologian, the late Dr. Hans Kung, this situation “duplicated the financial abuses of the papacy” (Hyatt, Infallible Pope: Key to Unity or Source of Division, 42).

In seeking to resolve the matter, the cardinals of both sides met together in Pisa in 1409 and elected a new pope, Alexander V. The former two popes, however, refused to vacate their office and the Catholic Church suddenly had three popes.

This, of course, was scandalous and led to loud calls for a reform of the Catholic Church. The problem was finally dealt with by the Council of Constance (1414-1418), which deposed all three popes and installed a new one, Martin V. In the process of dealing with this papal scandal, this council subordinated the pope’s authority to its own, declaring, “Everyone of whatever estate or dignity, even if this be papal, is bound to obey it in matters related to the faith.”

This same council condemned Jon Hus, a Czech Roman Catholic priest who, understandably, had begun preaching that the Bible, not the pope or a church council, is the Christian’s highest authority. He was summoned before the council, which found him guilty of heresy and had him burned at the stake.

It was this sort of scandal and intolerance that made the Protestant Reformation inevitable. It was this sort of outrageous activity that pushed Martin Luther, a Roman Catholic priest and theologian, to begin preaching the authority of Scripture over the authority of popes and church councils. When hauled before a tribunal and ordered to recant his teachings, Luther refused, saying, 

I can believe neither pope nor councils alone, as it is clear that they have erred repeatedly and contradicted themselves. I consider myself convicted by the testimony of Holy Scripture, which is my basis. My conscience is captive to the Word of God; thus I cannot and will not recant anything, because acting against one's conscience is neither safe nor sound. Here I stand! God help me! Amen!"

Luther was declared a heretic and an order issued that his books were to be confiscated and burned. He would have been arrested and executed like Jon Huss but for the protection of the powerful German prince, Frederick the Wise. 

Luther continued to teach and preach and the  Protestant movement exploded around the world. When asked, in later life, how he had been able to have such an impact on the church and world, Luther replied, "I simply taught, preached God's word; otherwise I did nothing. The Word did it all."

Is there an answer for the present schism between Catholic and Protestant? Of course there is, and it is a simple one, but a challenging one for those who love power. There must be a return to Jesus and a new commitment to the authority of Scripture, which testifies of Jesus. Kung, the most widely read Catholic theologian in the modern world, nailed it when he wrote.

The road to unity is not the return of one Church to another, or the exodus of one Church to join another, but a common crossroads, the conversion of all Churches to Christ and thus to one another (Hyatt, Infallible Pope: Key to Unity orSource of Division, 57-58).

This article was derived from Dr. Eddie Hyatt's book, Infallible Pope: Key to Unity or Source of Division, available from Amazon and his website at www.eddiehyatt.com.