15 October 1389 A.D. Urban VI (Bartolomeo Prignano) Dies—Rome’s 202nd; Opposed by Robert of Geneva ("Clement VII"), antipope (1378-1394); Western Schism; Allegedly Poisoned by Romans
15 October 1389 A.D. Urban VI (Bartolomeo Prignano) Dies—Rome’s 202nd; Opposed by Robert of Geneva ("Clement VII"), antipope (1378-1394); Western Schism; Allegedly Poisoned by Romans
Pope Urban VI
Mulder,
William. "Pope Urban
VI." The
Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 15. New York: Robert Appleton
Company, 1912.
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15216a.htm. Accessed 20 Sept 2014.
Pope Urban VI
Bartolomeo Prignano, the first Roman pope during the Western Schism, born at Naples, about 1318; died atRome, 15 October, 1389; according to many he was
poisoned by the Romans. At an early age
he went toAvignon, where he gained many
powerful friends. On 21 March, 1364, he was consecrated Archbishop ofAcerenza in the Kingdom of Naples, and on 14 April, 1377, Gregory XI transferred him to the archiepiscopal See of Bari, on the coast of the Adriatic. Meanwhile the
Cardinal Vice-Chancellor, Peter of Pampelon, remaining atAvignon, Prignano was given the management
of the papal chancery. After the death
of Gregory XI the Conclaveproposed him as a candidate for the tiara. Not only his business ability, integrity, and knowledge of law, but also his being a
subject of Queen Joanna of Naples favoured his eligibility.
The Conclave of 1378, which opened on
7 April (nine days after Gregory's death), was influenced by
the public opinion of Rome; it consisted of four Italiancardinals, five French, and seven
belonging to the Limoges faction. The Italian and French cardinals, though anxious to push forward their own
candidates, unanimously determined to oppose one of the Limoges party. The latter were
not strong enough to advance a candidate, but they hoped to make an alliance with
the less important parties and so attain their end. Their plan, however, was
frustrated, the French and Italians having previously
resolved to choose a prelate outside the Sacred College. Robert of Geneva (one of the French cardinals) even resigned his claim in favour of Prignano, and Pedro de Luna (Robert's successor in the See of Avignon) did the same. In this
way Prignano's chances increased considerably. An Italian, though not a Roman, he was supported
by the rivalry of the parties. Perhaps the French and Italian cardinals expected that, not being
a cardinal, he would be an obedient pope, and for this reason some of the Limoges party, uneasy about the
coalition between the French and the Italian cardinals, were drawn to this candidature.
This conclave was one of the shortest
in history. When the cardinals entered the Vatican some of the populacestole into the palace and tried
to extort the promise that an Italian pope would be chosen. Cardinal d'Aigrefeuille declared
that the cardinals could not make any such
concessions, but the disappointed people remained in theVatican the whole night, drinking
the wine and crying: "Romano
lo volemo, o al manco Italiano." The next morning, while the cardinals were at Mass, the tocsin was
rung, and suddenly the bells of St. Peter mingled their tones with
it. Fear and disorder overtook the cardinals; the guardian of the conclave besought them to hasten,
saying that the people wanted a Roman or an Italian, and that the
resistance would be dangerous. Then Pedro de Luna (Benedict XIII) proposed the election of the Archbishop of Bari, adding that he was, as they all knew, asaintly, learned man, of mature age. This
proposal obtained the desired effect. After some hesitation, thecardinals, excepting Orsini (who declared himself not
sufficiently free), agreed to accept Prignano, but preferred
to keep their choice secret until certain that the latter would
accept. Prignano was requested to repair
to theVatican accompanied by several
other prelates, so as to conceal from the people the person chosen. The uproar did
not abate, and the cardinals began to fear that their choice would
not satisfy the multitude. During a comparative calm they went to breakfast and
renewed the election of Prignano. The lawfulness
and renewed choice thus having been established, Orsini announced the election of a pope to the people, omitting
to mention the name. Various suppositions soon ran through the crowds, some
saying that the chosen one was Tebaldeschi(an aged Italian cardinal) and others that Jean de Bar (one of the most detested servants of Gregory) waselected. The confusion increased. Suddenly
the cardinals took a desperate
resolution. They presentedTebaldeschi, in the papal insignia, to the people
and commenced the "Te Deum", paying no attention to his refusal and
protests. Meanwhile, Prignano had reached the Vatican and declared that he
accepted the papaldignity and the homage of all the cardinals. One fact seems evident: the moment the cardinals regarded the choice of Prignano as valid, they removed
all doubt by a re-election and honoured him as the rightful successor of St. Peter.
It is to be
regretted that after his election Prignano did not show the good qualities which had distinguished
him before. Soon he quarrelled with the Sacred College. Desirous of reforming
the Church in head and members, he
began aright by a reform of the Curia, though perhaps not with the necessary prudence. It was unwise to abuse the cardinals and high dignitaries of the Church and to insult Otto of Brunswick (husband of Joanna of Naples). Nevertheless, public opinion was in the
beginning favourable to him, and not only the cardinals in Rome, but also the six who remained at Avignon submitted to him. However
the tempest, which broke out at Fondi in September of the same year, was
already brewing at Rome a few weeks after his election. Urban's ambassadors,
doubtlessinspired by the French and Limousin cardinals, left Rome too late, when the calumnies concerning the illegitimacyof the pope's election were widespread. The
ground having thus been prepared, the opposition was strengthened at Rome; Castel Sant'Angelo never hoisted Urban's colours, and the
discontented found there a refuge and the protection of armed soldiers. The
heat of early May afforded the dissatisfied cardinals a pretext for leaving Romefor Anagni, but no public sign of rebellion showed itself, Urban's opponents preferring,
perhaps, to conceal their project for the present. The pope's suspicions were
eventually aroused, and in June he requested the three Italiancardinals who had not followed the
others to join their colleagues and to try and restore kinder feelings. TheFrench cardinals renewed their
protestation of fidelity to the pope, but assembled the same day to establish the
unlawfulness of the April election. Moreover they
eventually won over the Italian members of the Sacred College.
Meanwhile,
in the name of the pope, the aforesaid cardinals proposed two expedients
to settle the differences, ageneral council or a compromise. Both
these means were made use of at the time of the Western Schism. But the opponents of Urban resolved on violent measures and declared
their intentions in a letter of the utmost
impertinence. On 2 August this letter was followed by the famous
"Declaration", a document more passionate than exact, which assumed at once the parts of
historian, jurist, and accuser. Seven days later they published anencyclical letter, repeating false and injurious accusations
against Urban, and on 27 August
left Anagni for Fondi, where they
enjoyed the protection of its lord (Urban's arch-enemy), and were
near Joanna of Naples; the latter at first had shown great interest in Urban, but was soon
disappointed by his capricious ways. On 15 September the three Italian cardinals joined their colleagues,
influenced, perhaps, by the hope of becoming pope themselves, or perhaps
frightened by the news that Urban was about to create twenty-nine cardinals in order to supply
thevacancies left by the thirteen French ones. Charles V of France, more and more doubtful of the lawfulness
ofUrban's election, encouraged the
Fondi faction to choose a rightful pope and one more agreeable to France. A letter from him arrived on 18 September, and
hastened a violent solution. On 20 September Robert of Genevawas chosen pope, and on this day the Western Schism began.
The Italians abstained from the election but were convinced of its canonical character. Robert assumed the name of Clement VII. The obediences of the two popes assumed definite limits between
September, 1378, and June, 1379. All Western Europe (except England, Ireland, and the English dominions in France) submitted to Clement VII; the greater part of Germany, Flanders, and Italy (with exception of Naples) recognized Urban. The obedienceof Urban was more numerous, that
of Clement more imposing. Meanwhile, Urban created twenty-eight cardinals, four of whom refused to accept the
purple. It is very difficult to decide exactly how far the schism is to be attributed to Urban's behaviour. Indisputably the long
exile at Avignon was its principal cause, as it diminished
the credit of the popes and inversely increased
the ambition of the cardinals, who were always striving to obtain more
influence in the government of the Church. Whatever may have been the causes of this event, it is certainthat the election of Urban was lawful, that of Clement uncanonical.
If the first
days of Urban's pontificate were unhappy,
his whole reign was a series of misadventures. It is true that he was successful in
reducing Castel Sant' Angelo and subduing a revolt of the Romans, but these are the
only successes of his reign. Naples was soon in turmoil.
Queen Joanna went over to the Clementines and was deposedby Urban. Charles of Durazzo took her place. He
arrested the queen and took possession of the kingdom, but soon lost
favour with the pope for not fulfilling his
engagements towards Francesco Prignano (Urban's unworthy and
immoral nephew), in whose regard Urban is not free from
nepotism. The pope now went to the south of Italy, against the advice of his cardinals, was received at Aversa by the king himself, but imprisoned on the night of his
arrival (30 Oct., 1383). Through his cardinals a compromise was reached,
and Urban left Aversa for Nocera. Here he had to
endure the most unworthy treatment from Margaret, the wife of Charles. The
misunderstanding between Urban and Charles increased after the death
of the latter's enemy, Louis of Anjou; the pope, obstinate and intractable, continued in a
half-hostile, half-dependent, attitude towards Charles, and created fourteencardinals, only the Neapolitans accepting the dignity. He
became daily more estranged from the older members of the Sacred College. No one conversant with
the ideas current at this time in
the Sacred College will wonder that the example
of 1378 found imitation. Highly irritated by Urban's inconsiderate behaviour,
the Urbanist cardinalsmediated a more practical way of
proceeding; they proposed to depose or, at least, arrest him.
But their plot wasrevealed to him, and six of them
were imprisoned and their possessions confiscated. Those who
did not confesswere tortured, and
the King and Queen of Naples, being suspected as accomplices, were excommunicated. In consequence Nocera was besieged by the king. Urban courageously defended the place, two
or three times a dayanathematizing his foes from the
ramparts. After nearly five months, Nocera was relieved by the Urbanists, Urbanescaping to Barletta, whence a Genoese fleet transported him and
the imprisoned cardinals to Genoa. During the voyage the Bishop of Aquila, one of the conspirators, was executed, and the cardinals, excepting Adam Aston, were put to death at Genoa, in spite of the intervention of the doge. It
may be taken for certain that the cardinalshad conspired against Urban, with a view of deposing him; that they intended
to burn him as an heretic may be a fantastic rumour.
At all events he acted very unwisely by treating
them so cruelly, for he then alienated faithfuladherents, as is proved by the manifesto of the
five cardinals, who remained at Nocera and renounced
hisobedience.
After King Charles was murdered in Hungary (February,
1386) Urban again
undertook to establish his authority in that kingdom;
he left for Lucca,
refused to treat with the dowager-queen Margaret,
and declined the proposal of ageneral council, which
some German princes
proposed at the insistence of Clement VII, though
he himself had formerly proposed the same expedient. He insulted the ambassadors
and pressed the German king, Wenceslaus,
to come to Rome. In August, 1387, he proclaimed
a crusade against Clement,
and in September he set out forPerugia, where he remained till
August, 1388, recruiting soldiers for a campaign against Naples, which had again fallen
into the hands of the Clementines,
and the possession of which
was very important for his own safety. The soldiers, not receiving their pay, deserted,
and Urban returned
to Rome, where his refractory temper
brought him into difficulties that could only be removed by an interdict. It was at Rome, also, that he fixed the
interval between the jubilees at
thirty-three years, the first of which was to be celebrated the next year,
1390. But he did not live to open it. Urban might
have been a good pope in more
peaceful circumstances; but he certainly was
unable to heal the wounds which the Church had
received during the exile of Avignon. If the genius of a Gregory VII or an Innocent III was
scarcely able to triumph over the ambition of the cardinals, the bad conduct of the
higher and lower clergy, and the unruliness of the laity, these impediments could
not but shipwreck the inconstant and quarrelsome Urban.
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