Great Schism (1378-1417)

With the election of Pope Urban VI on 8 April 1378 the Western Church fell into a severe crisis. He was deposed in the same year by a large group of cardinals in favour of Clement VII who moved to Avignon, while Urban remained at Rome. England, Hungary, and the Holy Roman Empire followed Urban, whereas France and her allies supported Clement. Each party elected followers when their popes had died. In 1409 there was even a third branch of the schism at Pisa, where the anti-pope Alexander V resided. Eventually, the Council of Constance (1414-1418) resolved the great schism by deposing all anti-popes and electing Martin V as the sole pope in Rome.