Editing Pope Innocent VII (section)

==Early life==
Cosimo de' Migliorati was born to a noble family of [[Sulmona]] in the [[Abruzzi]], son of Gentile Migliorati and wife Mascia Oderisi and uncle of cardinal [[Giovanni Migliorati (cardinal)|Giovanni Migliorati]].{{sfn|Lightbown|2004|p=216}} He distinguished himself by his learning in both civil and [[Canon law (Catholic Church)|Canon Law]], which he taught for a time at [[Perugia]] and [[Padua]]. His teacher [[Giovanni da Legnano]] sponsored him at Rome, where [[Pope Urban VI]] (1378–89) took him into the [[Curia]], sent him for ten years as papal collector to [[England]],<ref>There he is considered one of the connections through whom [[Chaucer]] came to know of "Lynyan", one of the "worthy clerks" mentioned in the Clerk's prologue in ''[[Canterbury Tales]]''. A.S. Cook, "Chauceriana II: Chaucer's 'Linian'", ''Romanic Review'' '''8''' (1917:375f).</ref> made him [[Bishop of Bologna]] in 1386 at a time of strife in that city, and [[Archbishop]] of [[Ravenna]] in 1387.

[[Pope Boniface IX]] made him [[Cardinal (Catholicism)|cardinal]]-priest of S. Croce in Gerusalemme (1389) and sent him as legate to Lombardy and Tuscany in 1390.<ref name=Ott>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08019a.htm Ott, Michael. "Pope Innocent VII." The Catholic Encyclopedia] Vol. 8. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 19 December 2018</ref> When Boniface IX died, there were present in Rome delegates from the rival pope at Avignon, Benedict XIII. The Roman cardinals asked these delegates whether their master would abdicate if the cardinals refrained from holding an election. When they were bluntly told that Benedict XIII would never abdicate (indeed he never did), the cardinals proceeded to an election. First, however, they each undertook a solemn oath to leave nothing undone, and, if need be, lay down the [[papal tiara|tiara]] to end the schism.