Editing Antipope John XXIII

{{Short description|Italian bishop and Pisan antipope (1410–1415)}}
{{For|the twentieth-century pope|Pope John XXIII}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox Christian leader
| type             = Antipope
| honorific-prefix = [[Antipope]]
| name             = John XXIII
| honorific-suffix = 
| title            = 
| image            = Johannes XXIII. Gegenpapst 2.jpg
| caption          = Miniature from the Chronicle of the [[Council of Constance]] by [[Ulrich of Richenthal]]
| elected          = 17 May 1410
| enthroned        = 25 May 1410
| ended            = 29 May 1415
| predecessor      = ''[[Roman Catholic Church|Roman]] claimant:'' <br> [[Pope Gregory XII|Gregory XII]] <br> ''[[Antipope|Antipapal]] claimant:'' <br> <u>[[Council of Pisa|Pisan]]</u> <br> [[Antipope Alexander V|Alexander V]] <br> <u>Avignonian</u> <br> [[Antipope Benedict XIII|Benedict XIII]]
| successor        = ''Roman claimant:''<br> [[Pope Gregory XII|Gregory XII]] <br> ''Antipapal claimant:''<br> <u>Avignonian</u> <br> [[Antipope Benedict XIII|Benedict XIII]] <br> <u>[[Council of Basel-Ferrara-Florence|Florentine]]</u> <br> [[Felix V]]
| opposed          = ''Roman claimant:'' <br> [[Pope Gregory XII]] <br> ''Antipapal (Avignon) claimant:'' <br> [[Antipope Benedict XIII]]
| ordination       = 24 May 1410
| ordained_by      = [[Jean-Allarmet de Brogny]]
| consecration     = 25 May 1410
| consecrated_by   = [[Jean-Allarmet de Brogny]]
| cardinal         = 27 February 1402
| created_cardinal_by = [[Pope Boniface IX]]
| rank              = [[Cardinal-Deacon]]
| other_post       = 
| birth_name       = Baldassarre Cossa
| birth_date       = 
| birth_place      = [[Procida]], [[Kingdom of Naples]]
| death_date       = 1419
| death_place      = [[Florence]], [[Republic of Florence]]
| buried           = [[Tomb of Antipope John XXIII]]
| nationality      = 
| religion         = 
| residence        = 
| parents          = 
| spouse           = 
| children         = 
| alma_mater       = [[University of Bologna]]
| signature        = 
| other            = John
| coat_of_arms     = C o a Giovanni XXIII (Pisa).svg
}}

'''Baldassarre Cossa''' (died 22 December 1419) was [[Council of Pisa|Pisan]] [[antipope]] as '''John XXIII''' (1410–1415) during the [[Western Schism]]. The [[Catholic Church]] today regards him as an antipope in opposition to Pope [[Gregory XII]], whom it recognizes as the rightful successor of [[Saint Peter]]. John XXIII was also an opponent of [[Antipope Benedict XIII|Benedict XIII]], who was recognized by the French clergy and monarchy as the legitimate [[pope]].

Historically, the ''[[Annuario Pontificio]]'' recognized John XXIII the legitimate successor of Saint Peter.<ref>{{cite book |title=Annuario pontificio per l'anno 1942 |date=1942 |location=Rome |page=21 |quote=205. Gregorio XII, Veneto, Correr (c.&nbsp;1406, cessò a. 1409, m. 1417) – Pont. a. 2, m. 6. g. 4. 206. Alessandro V, dell'Isola di Candia, Filargo (c.&nbsp;1409, m. 1410). – Pont. m. 10, g. 8. 207. Giovanni XXII o XXIII o XXIV, Napoletano, Cossa (c.&nbsp;1410, cessò dal pontificare 29 mag. 1415)}}</ref> However, the Western Schism was reinterpreted in 1958 when [[Pope John XXIII]] chose to reuse the ordinal XXIII, which is now reflected in modern editions of the ''Annuario Pontificio''.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=I Choose John ... |url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,938062,00.html |magazine=Time |date=10 November 1958 | page=91}}</ref> John XXIII is now considered to be an [[antipope]] and [[Gregory XII]]'s reign is recognized to have extended until 1415. 

Cossa was born in the [[Kingdom of Naples]]. In 1403, he served as a [[papal legate]] in [[Romagna]]. He participated in the [[Council of Pisa]] in 1408, which sought to end the Western Schism with the election of a third alternative pope. In 1410, he succeeded [[Antipope Alexander V]], taking the name John XXIII. At the instigation of King [[Sigismund of Germany]], John  XXIII called the [[Council of Constance]] of 1413, which deposed both John XXIII and Benedict XIII, accepted [[Gregory XII]]'s resignation, and elected [[Pope Martin V]] to replace them, thus ending the [[Schism in Christianity|schism]]. John XXIII was tried for various crimes, though later accounts question the veracity of those accusations. Towards the end of his life, Cossa restored his relationship with the Church and was made [[Cardinal Bishop of Frascati]] by Pope Martin V.

== Early life ==
Baldassarre Cossa was born on the island of [[Procida]] in the [[Kingdom of Naples]], the son of Giovanni Cossa, lord of Procida.{{sfn|Levillain|2002|p=851}} Initially he followed a military career, taking part in the [[Kingdom of Naples|Angevin-Neapolitan war]]. His two brothers were sentenced to death for [[piracy]] by [[Ladislaus of Naples]].<ref name=mccabe>{{cite book|author=Joseph McCabe|title=Crises in the History of the Papacy|chapter=Chapter XI. John XXIII and the Great Schism|year=1916|publisher=G.P. Putnam's Sons|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EkX2JjO4V6sC&pg=PA221|isbn=978-0-7661-7904-2}}</ref>

He studied law at the [[University of Bologna]] and obtained doctorates in both civil and canon law.{{sfn|Greenblatt|2011| loc=Chapter 7}} Probably at the prompting of his family, in 1392 he entered the service of [[Pope Boniface IX]], first working in Bologna and then in Rome. (The [[Western Schism]] had begun in 1378, and there were two competing popes at the time, one in Avignon supported by France and Spain, and one in Rome, supported by most of Italy, Germany and England.) In 1386 he is listed as canon of the cathedral of Bologna. In 1396, he became archdeacon in Bologna. He became [[cardinal (Catholicism)#Cardinal deacons|Cardinal deacon]] of Saint Eustachius in 1402 and [[Papal legate]] in [[Romagna]] in 1403. [[Johann Peter Kirsch]] describes Cossa as "utterly worldly-minded, ambitious, crafty, unscrupulous, and immoral, a good soldier but no churchman".<ref name=Kirsch>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08434a.htm Kirsch, Johann Peter. "John XXIII." The Catholic Encyclopedia] Vol. 8. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 2 January 2016</ref> At this time Cossa also had some links with local robber bands, which were often used to intimidate his rivals and attack carriages. These connections added to his influence and power in the region.{{sfn|Greenblatt|2011| p=158}}

== Role in the Western Schism ==
=== Council of Pisa ===
Cardinal Cossa was one of the seven [[Cardinal (Catholicism)|cardinals]] who, in May 1408, withdrew their allegiance from [[Pope Gregory XII]], stating that he had broken his solemn oath not to create new cardinals without consulting them in advance. In company with those cardinals who had been following [[Antipope Benedict XIII]] of Avignon, they convened the [[Council of Pisa]], of which Cossa became a leading figure. The aim of the council was to end the schism; to this end they deposed both [[Gregory XII]] and Benedict XIII and elected a new pope [[Antipope Alexander V|Alexander V]] in 1409.<ref name=Kirsch/> Gregory and Benedict ignored this decision, however, so that there were now three simultaneous claimants to the [[papacy]].

=== Election to the papacy ===
Alexander suddenly died while he was with Cardinal Baldassare Cossa at Bologna on the night of 3–4 May 1410. On 25 May 1410, Cossa was consecrated a pope taking the name John XXIII. He had become an [[priesthood (Catholic Church)|ordained bishop]] only one day earlier. John XXIII was acknowledged as pope by [[Kingdom of France|France]], [[Kingdom of England|England]], [[Kingdom of Bohemia|Bohemia]], [[Kingdom of Portugal|Portugal]], parts of the [[Holy Roman Empire]], and numerous Northern Italian city states, including Florence and [[Republic of Venice|Venice]] and the [[Patriarchate of Aquileia]]; and in the beginning and in 1411–1413 by Hungary and Poland. However, the Avignon Pope Benedict XIII was regarded as pope by the [[Kingdom of Aragon|Kingdoms of Aragon]], [[Kingdom of Castile|Castile]], [[Kingdom of Sicily (Medieval and Early Modern)|Sicily]] and [[Kingdom of Scotland|Scotland]]. [[Gregory XII]] was still favored by [[Ladislaus of Naples]], [[Carlo I Malatesta]], the [[List of rulers of Bavaria|princes of Bavaria]], [[Louis III, Elector Palatine|Louis III]], [[Electorate of the Palatinate|Elector Palatine]], and parts of Germany and [[Kingdom of Poland (1385–1569)|Poland]].<ref>Lightbown, R.W. (1980) ''Donatello & Michelozzo''. London: Harvey Miller. pp. 4–5.</ref> John XXIII made the [[Medici Bank]] the bank of the papacy, contributing considerably to the family's wealth and prestige.<ref name=mediateca>[http://www.palazzo-medici.it/mediateca/en/Scheda_Baldassarre_Cossa "Popes and Prelates", Mediateca di Palazzo Medici]</ref>

The main enemy of John was [[Ladislaus of Naples]], who protected [[Gregory XII]] in Rome. Following his election as pope, John spent a year in Bologna and then joined forces with [[Louis II of Anjou]] to march against Ladislaus. An initial victory proved short-lived and Ladislaus retook Rome in May 1413, forcing John to flee to Florence.<ref name=Kirsch/> In Florence he met [[Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor|Sigismund]], King of the Romans. Sigismund wanted to end the schism and urged John to call a general council. John did so with hesitation, at first trying to have the council held in Italy (rather than in a German [[Free imperial city|Imperial City]], as Sigismund wanted). The [[Council of Constance]] was convened on 30 October 1414. During the third session, rival [[Pope Gregory XII]] authorized the council as well. The council resolved that all three popes should abdicate and a new pope be elected.<ref name=Miranda>[http://www2.fiu.edu/~mirandas/bios1419.htm Miranda, Salvador. "Cossa, Baldassare", ''The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church'']</ref>

=== Flight from the Council of Constance ===
In March, John escaped from Constance disguised as a postman.<ref name=Miranda/> According to the Klingenberger Chronicle, written by a noble client of [[Frederick IV, Duke of Austria]], John XXIII traveled down the Rhine to [[Schaffhausen]] in a boat, while Frederick accompanied him with a small band of men on horseback. There was a huge outcry in Constance when it was discovered that John had fled, and Sigismund was furious about this setback to his plans for ending the Schism. The King of the Romans issued orders to all the powers on the Upper Rhine and in Swabia stating that he had declared Frederick to be an outlaw and that his lands and possessions were forfeit. In due course this led to a great deal of political upheaval and many Austrian losses in the region, notably in [[Aargau]] to the [[Swiss Confederation]].

In the meantime, Antipope John XXIII and Frederick fled further downriver along the Rhine to the town of [[Freiburg im Breisgau]], which recognised the duke of Austria as its lord. There Sigismund's lieutenant [[Ludwig III, Elector Palatine]] caught up with them. He convinced Frederick that he stood to lose too much by harbouring the fugitive pope, and the Austrian duke agreed to give himself and John up and return to Constance.<ref>Brandmüller, Walter. ''Das Konzil von Konstanz'', 1414–1418 (Paderborn, 1991){{ISBN?}}</ref>

=== Deposition ===
During his absence, John was deposed by the council, and upon his return he was tried for heresy, [[simony]], schism and immorality, and found guilty on all counts. The 18th century historian [[Edward Gibbon]] wrote, "The more scandalous charges were suppressed; the vicar of Christ was accused only of [[piracy]], [[rape]], sodomy, murder and [[incest]]."<ref>Gibbon, Edward. ''[[The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire]]'', New York: The Heritage Press, 1946, vol. 3, p. 2417</ref> John was given over to [[Ludwig III, Elector Palatine]], who imprisoned him for several months in [[Heidelberg]] and [[Mannheim]].

The last remaining claimant in Avignon, [[Antipope Benedict XIII|Benedict XIII]], refused to resign and was excommunicated. [[Pope Martin V|Martin V]] was elected as new pope in 1417.

== Death and burial ==
[[File:Grabmaljohannes13.jpg|thumb|right|130px|[[Tomb of Antipope John XXIII]]]]
Cossa was freed in 1418 after a heavy ransom was paid by the Medici.<ref name=mediateca/> He went to Florence, where he submitted to Martin V, who made him [[Cardinal Bishop of Frascati]]. Cossa died only a few months later.

The Medici oversaw the construction of [[Tomb of Antipope John XXIII|his magnificent tomb]] by [[Donatello]] and [[Michelozzo]] in the [[Battistero di San Giovanni (Florence)|Battistero di San Giovanni]] in Florence. Pope Martin V protested in vain against the inscription on the sarcophagus: "John the former pope".

J.P. Kirsch remarks that "Undeniably secular and ambitious, his moral life was not above reproach, and his unscrupulous methods in no wise accorded with the requirements of his high office&nbsp;... the heinous crimes of which his opponents in the council accused him were certainly gravely exaggerated."<ref name=Kirsch/> One historian concluded that John was "a great man in temporal things, but a complete failure and worthless in spiritual things".<ref name=mccabe/>

== Fictional depictions ==
John is portrayed by [[Steven Waddington]] in the 2016 television series ''[[Medici: Masters of Florence]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Medici: Masters of Florence|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5057130/|website=Internet Movie Database|date=9 December 2016|access-date=24 December 2016}}</ref>

The 1932 thriller ''[[Safe Custody]]'' by [[Dornford Yates]], references John. Listing the members of an objectionable family, a character in the story says, "Then we come to his nephew—a promising lad of fifteen. He lies, steals, smells, assaults the servants and abuses any animal which he is satisfied will not retaliate. If Gibbon may be believed, Pope John the Twenty-third as a stripling must have resembled him".

In 1983, American political satirist and novelist [[Richard Condon]] wrote ''A Trembling Upon Rome'', a novel of historical fiction about the life of Baldassare Cossa.

Russian writer Dmitry Balashov wrote the novel ''Baltazar Kossa'' ({{lang|ru|Бальтазар Косса}}) about Antipope John XXIII.

== Numbering issues ==
{{main|Pope John (numbering)}}
He should not be confused with [[Pope John XXIII]] of the twentieth century. When [[Pope John XXIII|Angelo Roncalli]] was elected pope in 1958, there was some confusion as to whether he would be ''John XXIII'' or ''John XXIV''; he then declared that he was John XXIII to put this question to rest. There was no [[Pope John XX|John XX]], since that number was skipped due to an error by Medieval [[Pope John XXI]]; this is why Gibbon refers to the antipope John as John XXII.

== See also ==
* [[Papal selection before 1059]]
* [[Papal conclave]] (since 1274)

== References ==
{{reflist|40em}}

== Sources ==
* {{cite book |last=Greenblatt |first=Stephen | author-link = Stephen Greenblatt|title=The Swerve: How the World Became Modern |publisher=W.W. Norton |year=2011 |isbn=978-0393343403 |title-link=The Swerve: How the World Became Modern }}
*{{cite encyclopedia |encyclopedia=The Papacy: An Encyclopedia |volume=2: Gaius-Proxies |title=John XXIII |editor-first=Philippe |editor-last=Levillain |publisher=Routledge |year=2002 }}

== Further reading ==
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=John XXIII (pope)|display=John XXIII.|volume=15|pages=437–438|first=Joseph Marie Noel|last=Valois|author-link=Noël Valois}}

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