Pope Martin V

Pope Martin V. Born Oddone Colonna, he was elected by the Council of Constance in 1417, ending the nearly 40-year Western Schism that had divided Latin Christendom. His pontificate focused on restoring the authority and economic stability of the Papal States and the city of Rome itself, which had suffered greatly during the Avignon Papacy and the subsequent schism. He is recognized as a skilled political operator who navigated complex relations with France, the Holy Roman Empire, and Italian powers like the Kingdom of Naples.

Early life and career

Oddone Colonna was born in 1368 into the powerful House of Colonna, a noble family with extensive holdings in the Papal States and a long history of rivalry with the Orsini family. He studied canon law at the University of Perugia and began his ecclesiastical career under the auspices of his relative, Pope Urban VI. Colonna was appointed Apostolic Protonotary by Pope Boniface IX and later created Cardinal-Deacon of San Giorgio in Velabro in 1405. During the turbulent years of the schism, he initially supported the Roman claimant Gregory XII but later shifted his allegiance to the Pisan claimant Alexander V and his successor, Antipope John XXIII, seeing the Council of Pisa as a potential path to unity.

Election and papacy

His election on 11 November 1417 was the central achievement of the Council of Constance, which had been convened by Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor to resolve the schism. The council first deposed the rival claimants Antipope John XXIII and Antipope Benedict XIII, and accepted the abdication of the Roman pope, Gregory XII. After the conclave, Martin V was crowned in Konstanz Minster and immediately began the arduous journey to Rome, which he did not enter until 1420 due to political instability. His formal entry into the city marked the definitive return of the papacy to Rome after the long period of the Avignon Papacy and schism.

Council of Constance and ending the Western Schism

The primary mandate of the Council of Constance was to end the Western Schism, which had seen as many as three rival popes claiming legitimacy since 1378. The council utilized the principle of *conciliarism*, asserting the authority of a general council over that of a pope, to depose the existing claimants and elect a new, universally recognized pontiff. While Martin V validated the council's decrees on matters of faith and schism, he later issued the bull *Inter Cunctas*, which condemned the teachings of John Wycliffe and Jan Hus, the latter having been executed by the council. His reign definitively closed the schism, though the last holdout, Antipope Benedict XIII, maintained a rump obedience in Peñíscola until his death.

Relations with secular powers

Martin V proved to be a deft diplomat in rebuilding papal authority amidst the competing interests of European monarchs and Italian condottieri. He negotiated the Concordat of Constance with the German Nation, addressing ecclesiastical appointments and finances. In France, he worked with Charles VII to partially roll back the restrictive Gallican Liberties established by the Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges. Within Italy, he faced constant challenges from mercenary captains like Braccio da Montone and Muzio Attendolo Sforza, and engaged in a protracted struggle with Queen Joanna II of Naples over territorial control. He also sought to organize a new crusade against the Hussites in Bohemia following the Hussite Wars.

Death and legacy

Pope Martin V died in Rome on 20 February 1431. He was initially buried in the Basilica of Saint John Lateran, but his tomb was later destroyed. His legacy is that of a restorer who brought stability to the Papacy and the Papal States after a period of profound crisis. He initiated the rebuilding of Rome's infrastructure, patronized artists like Masaccio and Gentile da Fabriano, and convened the Council of Basel just before his death. However, his nepotism in favoring the Colonna family set a precedent for later Renaissance popes, and the unresolved tensions with conciliarism would erupt again under his successor, Pope Eugene IV.

Category:Popes Category:Italian popes Category:House of Colonna Category:People from the Province of Rome