John XXIII

Pope, a native of Naples, and previously to his election known as cardinal Cossa, succeeded Alexander V in 1410. A man of great talents, but worthless in character, his reputation as cardinal under his predecessor is by no means enviable. Indeed, he is accused of having poisoned Alexander V (q.v.). As a pope, he supported the claims of Louis of Anjou against Ladislaus, king of Naples; but Ladislaus, having defeated his rival in battle, advanced to Rome, and obliged John to flee to Florence. He then preached a crusade against Ladislaus, which gave occasion to denunciations and invectives from John Huss. Meantime the great schism continued, and Gregory, styled XII, and Benedict, antipopes, divided with John the homage of the Christian states. In his exile, wishing to secure the favor of the emperor, he proposed to Sigismund the convocation of a general council to restore peace to the Church, and Sigismund fixed on the city of Constance as the place of assembly. On hearing of the death of Ladislaus, by which event Rome became again open to him, John repented of what he had proposed, but was obliged to comply with the general wish by repairing to Constance. By this council (see vol. 2, p. 486) John was forced to drop the papal tiara; but soon after, by the assistance of Frederick of Austria, he resumed his authority by ordering the council to dissolve. This provoked the question whether the pope is the supreme authority in the Church, and the fourth and fifth sessions decided "that the General Council, once assembled, is superior to the pope, and can receive no orders from him." A formal process was now instituted against John; sixty charges were laid against him, and he was finally deposed on May 29, 1415, and given into the custody of the elector palatine. After the election of Martin V and the termination of the Council of Constance, John, now again Balthazar Cossa, escaped from Germany, and made his submission to the new pope, who treated him kindly, and gave him the first rank among the cardinals. He died soon after, Nov. 22, 1419, at Florence. The name of John, which most of those who bore it disgraced, either by debauchery, simony, or other crimes, has since been avoided by the occupants of the chair of St. Peter. See Herzog, Real-Encyklop. 6, 759; Eng. Cyclop. s.v.; Muratori, Vitoe, 3, 2, p. 846 sq.; Riddle. Papacy, 2, 353.