Antipope John XXIII (Baldassare Cossa)

Antipope John XXIII (Baldassare Cossa)
Name	Baldassare Cossa
Birth date	c. 1370
Birth place	Procida, Kingdom of Naples
Death date	22 December 1419
Death place	Florence, Republic of Florence
Other names	Antipope John XXIII
Occupation	Cardinal, claimant to the Papacy

Antipope John XXIII (Baldassare Cossa)

Baldassare Cossa, commonly known by his papal name John XXIII, was an Italian cardinal and later claimant to the papacy during the Western Schism. A native of Procida in the Kingdom of Naples, he rose through the ranks of the Roman Catholic Church to become a central figure in the disputes between rival papal claimants, involving major courts such as Avignon and Rome, and culminating at the Council of Constance.

Early life and rise in the Church

Born around 1370 on the island of Procida in the Bay of Naples, Cossa came from a family connected to the Aragonese and Angevin spheres of influence in the Kingdom of Naples. He studied canon law and forged connections with influential figures at the court of Pope Boniface IX and in the curial circles of Rome. Cossa served as rector and papal legate in southern Italy, establishing ties with the Colonna family, the Orsini family, and the Aragonese Crown of Naples. Elevated to the College of Cardinals by Pope Innocent VII, he built alliances with cardinals associated with the Roman obedience and engaged with political players including King Ladislaus of Naples and representatives of the Holy Roman Empire.

Election as Pisan Pope and role in the Western Schism

During the contested environment of the Western Schism, rival claimants based in Rome, Avignon, and later Pisa vied for recognition. In 1410–1412, following deposals and intrigues involving Pope Gregory XII and Benedict XIII (Avignon Pope), the Council of Pisa (1409) attempt to end the schism led to further fragmentation. Cossa became the leading figure of the Pisan obedience when the cardinals elected him in 1410 as pope at Pisa, taking the name John XXIII. His election deepened the schism by creating a third claimant alongside Gregory XII and Benedict XIII. As Pisan claimant, he sought recognition from European powers including the Kingdom of England, the Kingdom of France, the Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, and Italian states such as the Republic of Florence and the Republic of Venice.

Papal policies and military-political actions

John XXIII pursued an assertive policy combining ecclesiastical reform rhetoric with secular power politics. He issued bulls and appointments engaging cardinals from the Kingdom of Aragon, the Kingdom of Castile, and the Papacy's Italian territories while seeking support from princes like Sigismund of Luxembourg and King Ladislaus of Naples. Militarily, he relied on condottieri and papal forces, interacting with commanders such as Braccio da Montone and negotiating with Alfonso V of Aragon. His governance involved contested appointments in dioceses across Italy, Sicily, and Catalonia, and he attempted to secure revenues through taxation and benefices, which provoked resistance from local prelates and civic authorities in cities like Rome, Florence, and Venice. His conduct provoked criticism from reform-minded theologians in the echo of debates represented by figures such as Jan Hus and Jean Gerson.

Deposition, imprisonment, and trial at the Council of Constance

The Council of Constance (1414–1418), convened under the aegis of Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor and hosted by the Holy Roman Empire, aimed to resolve the schism and address church reform and heresy. John XXIII initially sought imperial backing but, after military setbacks, fled Constance in 1415 and was captured by Frederick IV of Hohenzollern's forces and detained by Antwerp-area authorities before being handed over to council custody. The council deposed him for schismatic behavior and financial abuses; he was imprisoned and tried by the council for canonical offenses alongside charges later directed at other claimants. Under pressure from conciliar procedures advocated by proponents like Dionysius the Carthusian's contemporaries and influenced by council presidents and theologians such as Pierre d'Ailly and Jean Gerson, John XXIII resigned his claim in 1415, enabling the council to proceed with electing a universally recognized pope.

Later life, reconciliation, and death

After his deposition, Cossa was pardoned and escorted to Florence, where he entered a process of reconciliation with the remaining papal authority. He made peace with the newly elected Pope Martin V (Oddone Colonna) and accepted a cardinalate and benefices restored under terms negotiated by the council and by secular rulers including Sigismund. In his final years he retired to Bologna and Florence, where he engaged in patronage and ecclesiastical business within the framework of reconciliation. Cossa died on 22 December 1419 in Florence and was buried with honors consistent with his restored status; his death closed a contentious chapter that had implicated institutions from Avignon to Rome.

Legacy and historical assessment

Historians assess Cossa's career through multiple lenses: as a product of the factional politics of the Western Schism, as an ambitious cardinal-state actor in the milieu of Italian Renaissance power struggles, and as a subject of conciliar reform efforts culminating in the Conciliar movement. His tenure influenced subsequent debates at the Council of Basel and shaped perceptions of papal authority challenged by councils and monarchs such as Charles VII of France and Henry V of England. Modern scholarship situates him among contested figures alongside Gregory XII and Benedict XIII (Avignon Pope), noting his role in precipitating conciliar solutions and in the complex interactions among Florentine civic elites, Neapolitan kingship, and Holy See politics. His life remains a case study in late medieval ecclesiastical patronage, diplomatic networks involving Aragonese and Angevin interests, and the transition from medieval papalism toward early modern conciliarism.

Category:Antipopes Category:15th-century Italian people Category:People from Procida