Synopsis

Let’s talk about a few good antipopes. What’s that about, anyway? If they meet, do they both annihilate? How do they sometimes switch places? Join Em and Dr. Jesse as they go over some of the more interesting antipopes of the 11th and 12th centuries.

Notes

1/ The board game is Kremlin.

2/ Gregory VII (born c1015, namesake of the reform movement, pope 1073–1085). Gregorian reform!

3/ Investiture Controversy. The big one is roughly 1076–1122, but there are a bunch of investiture struggles.

4/ Henry IV (1050–1106; king of Germany from 1054, of Italy and Burgundy from 1056, and Holy Roman Emperor from 1084)

5/ Antipope Clement III (born c1029, Antipope 1080–1100)

6/ Antipope Theodoric (or Sylvester III, but there was an earlier Sylvester III, who was considered an antipope by Theodoric but is not currently listed as one by the Vatican).

7/ Concordat of London 1107 between Henry I of England and Pope Paschal II

8/ Holy Emperor Henry V (born early 1080s-1125; Holy Roman Emperor 1111–1125)

9/ Henry V appoints Antipope Gregory VIII (Antipope 1118–1121, dies 1137)

10/ Concordat of Worms 1122

11/ Pope Innocent II (Pope 1130–1143) is elected by a minority

Antipope Alacletus II (1130–1138) is elected by a majority

12/ Lateran II convened in 1139 by Innocent II

Antipope Victor IV (not to be confused with a later Antipope Victor IV) submits to Innocent II

13/ St Bernard dogs get their name from their original breeding place in Switzerland, which is named for St Bernard of Menthon, not Bernard of Clairvaux!

14/ Lateran III 1179

15/ Ubi Periculum 1274, issued by Pope Gregory X during the Second Council of Lyon, establishes the papal conclave

16/ Actually, Francis was chosen pretty quickly! It just seemed long in our crazy media climate.

17/ Pope Clement V (born c. 1264; Pope 1305–1314) and the Avignon Papacy (1309–1376/7)

18/ Pope Celestine V: the previous pope who resigned! He was pope for a few months in 1294.

19/ Pope Boniface VIII (born c.1230; Pope 1294–1303), famously hated by Dante.

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Synopsis

When did the conclave system get started and why? Following on the heels (uh, vaguely) of our emergency popecast, Em and Dr. Jesse discuss history of papal elections and how the Church got to where it is.

Notes

Saints and Sinners: A History of the Popes, by Eamon Duffy. 4th ed. Yale University Press, 2015.

1/ We recorded this in February 2024; Benedict died on the 31st of December, 2022. He was 95. JPII lived to 84 (d. 2005) and Francis was 88. [Benedict XVI was the former head of the Dicastery or Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the formerly known as the Congregation of the Inquisition. –Jesse]

Celestine V (c.1210/15–1296; pope July 5–December 13 1294)

Gregory XII (c1327–1417; pope 1406–1415, resigns to end schism)

Pope John XXIII (1881–1963, pope 1958–1963) called the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965).

Pisan Antipope John XXIII (d.1419; pope 1410–1415)

2/ I’m sure some of this background on the various popes and especially Francis is a repeat from last episode. If you took good notes and don’t need a reminder, I’m sorry.

3/ “Eventually they get found liable for their sayings.” I have no idea what politician that was a dig at. I’m pretty sure that the “mayors of major cities who get more say than the governor” is probably a reference to the mayor of NYC vs the NY governor?

4/ For more on the Ottonian Dynasty!

5/ You can actually still become a married male priest in the Holy Roman Catholic and Apostolic Church by: first becoming a pastor in another denomination, getting married there (and a certain amount of time elapsing), and then converting to Catholicism and applying to become a priest. (This requires your wife’s consent, apparently. In case you were wondering if women ever got asked to consent to anything in Christianity. There is one thing.)

You can also become a priest if you’re a widower.

6/ Gregory VII (c1015–1085; pope 1073–1085)

Peter Damian (c1007–1072)

Lateran Council of 769

7/ Pope Paul I (pope 757–767)

Antipope Constantine II (pope 767–769)

Antipope Philip (pope only one day, July 31, 768)

Pope Stephen III (c720–772; pope 768–772)

Pope Adrian I (pope 772–795)

8/ Stephen IX (c1020–1058; pope 1057–1058)

Antipope Benedict X (pope 1058–1059)

Pope Nicholas II (c. 990/95–1061; pope 1058/9–1061)