The Great Western Schism, 1378-1417

03/31/20 • 68 min

In recent years, the existence of a "pontiff emeritus" has caused some confusion for faithful Catholics, with two living popes at the same time. But imagine if there were THREE living popes, none of them "retired," all with their own rival supporters among the cardinals of the Church--what would this be like? How would we know whom to follow as Catholics?

In this episode, Controversies in Church History details the Great Western Schism (1378-1417), when just such a scenario took place in the Church, and examines how the Church became divided between rival popes, how this was resolved, how people at the time experienced it, and what we can learn from this messy episode in the Church's long history.

Please subscribe to our podcast on Anchor and check out Controversies in Church History on our other platforms:

LINKS:

SOCIAL:

Please subscribe to our podcast on Anchor and check out Controversies in Church History on our other platforms:

LINKS:

SOCIAL:

Previous Episode

Great Heresies: John Wyclif and the Lollards

He has been called "The Morning Star of the Reformation" by Protestants, and is sometimes regarded as the last great scholastic theologian of the Middle Ages. He denied the doctrine of transubstantiation, translated parts of the bible from Latin to English, and sent lay preachers out into the English countryside to teach poor people. His followers were condemned by the Church and persecuted by English authorities, but a scattered few remained in existence at the time of the Reformation in England. In this episode, Controversies in Church History retails the exploits of the medieval theologian John Wyclif, why the Church condemned his teachings, and what we can learn from his challenge to the Church's faith.

Please subscribe to our podcast on Anchor and check out Controversies in Church History on our other platforms.

LINKS:

SOCIAL:

Next Episode

The Case of Edgaro Mortara

In 1858, a scandal rocked Europe. The Vatican removed an eight year old Jewish boy from his family and pope Pius IX raised him as a Catholic. The boy's name was Edgaro Mortara, and he would eventually become a Catholic priest. The Vatican based its decision on the claims that the boy's nurse had baptized him during a serious illness when he was one year old, and that therefore he had a right to a Christian upbringing. In an era of revolutionary change throughout Europe and the world, non-Catholics were incensed, Jewish organizations mounted a campaign in the press to have the boy returned to his family, and even Catholic governments in France, Italy and Austria issued protests for Pius IX to relent, but he refused. In this episode, we delve into why Pius IX refused to return the child Edgaro Mortara to his parents, and its lasting impact on the Church today.

Please subscribe to our podcast on Anchor and check out Controversies in Church History on our other platforms:

LINKS:

SOCIAL: