Kirchenakte Documented events from judgments, reports and church documents
Person 1410-1419 · about 9 years old · show in timeline

Antipope John XXIII (Baldassare Cossa)

According to the Britannica Baldassare Cossa first led the life of a corsair before entering the service of the Church and becoming cardinal and legate of Bologna. In 1410 the cardinals of the Pisan obedience elected him Pope John XXIII; whether he bought his electors with money and promises the Britannica leaves open. He opened the Council of Constance in 1414, fled the city in disguise in 1415, was brought back and put on trial. Of 74 charges the council found many proved; it deposed him on 29 May 1415 for notorious simony, abetting schism and scandalous life. It did not maintain the charge of having poisoned his predecessor.

Life dates
1410-1419 (about 9 years old)
Country
Germany, Italy
Institutions
Council of Constance
Pisan obedience
Category
Financial misconduct
Level of evidence
B two independent scholarly sources · what does this mean?

What happened to the people

How were they charged and sentenced?

  1. On 2 March 1415 he promised under oath to resign if his two rivals did the same. On the night of 20 to 21 March he fled Constance in layman's clothes with a crossbow at his side. He was brought back and held prisoner. Of 74 charges only twenty were set aside after the witnesses had been heard; the charge of having poisoned Alexander V and his doctor was not maintained. According to the Britannica enough deeds of immorality, tyranny, ambition and simony were found proved.
    Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Absatz 3
    „having donned the garments of a layman, with a cross-bow slung at his side, he succeeded in making his escape“
    John XXIII (pope), Absatz 3. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 4 (1908), Wikisource-Ausgabe 1913, Abschnitt I
    „he promised under oath (2 March, 1415) to resign“
    Council of Constance, Abschnitt I. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 4 (1908), Wikisource-Ausgabe 1913, Abschnitt I
    „there held prisoner, while the council proceeded to his trial“
    Council of Constance, Abschnitt I. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Absatz 3
    „Seventy-four charges were drawn up, only twenty of which were set aside after the witnesses had been heard. The accusation of having poisoned Alexander V. and his doctor at Bologna was not maintained.“
    John XXIII (pope), Absatz 3. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Absatz 3
    „But enough deeds of immorality, tyranny, ambition and simony were found proved to justify the severest judgment.“
    John XXIII (pope), Absatz 3. Original · Archive copy

What happened to those affected?

  1. On 14 May 1415 he was suspended and on 29 May deposed, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia not for heresy but for notorious simony, abetting schism and scandalous life. He was condemned to indefinite imprisonment in the emperor's custody, bought his freedom after three years, was appointed Cardinal-Bishop of Tusculum by Martin V and died in Florence on 22 December 1419.
    Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Absatz 3
    „He was suspended from his functions as pope on the 14th of May 1415, and deposed on the following 29th of May.“
    John XXIII (pope), Absatz 3. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 4 (1908), Wikisource-Ausgabe 1913, Abschnitt I
    „not for heresy but for notorious simony, abetting of schism, and scandalous life“
    Council of Constance, Abschnitt I. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 4 (1908), Wikisource-Ausgabe 1913, Abschnitt I
    „was condemned to indefinite imprisonment in the custody of the emperor“
    Council of Constance, Abschnitt I. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Absatz 3
    „He was held prisoner for three years in Germany, but in the end bought his liberty from the count palatine.“
    John XXIII (pope), Absatz 3. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Absatz 3
    „He died on the 22nd of December 1419“
    John XXIII (pope), Absatz 3. Original · Archive copy

Background

Course of events

  1. Cossa came from a Neapolitan family and, according to the Britannica, led the life of a corsair before entering the service of the Church under Boniface IX. He became cardinal and legate of Bologna. After the sudden death of Alexander V he was elected at Bologna on 17 May 1410; whether he bought his electors with money and promises or owed his election to his position of power the Britannica leaves open.
    Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Absatz 1
    „began by leading the life of a corsair before entering the service of the Church under the pontificate of Boniface IX“
    John XXIII (pope), Absatz 1. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Absatz 1
    „Whether the latter had bought his electors by money and promises, or owed his success to his dominant position in Bologna“
    John XXIII (pope), Absatz 1. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 4 (1908), Wikisource-Ausgabe 1913, Abschnitt I
    „was succeeded by Cardinal Baldassare Cossa as John XXIII“
    Council of Constance, Abschnitt I. Original · Archive copy

See also

Scholarly literature and reference works

  1. Reference work
    Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911): John XXIII (pope), 1 January 1911. Original · Archive copy (retrieved 31 Oct 2026)
  2. Reference work
    The Catholic Encyclopedia, Bd. 4 (1908), Wikisource-Ausgabe 1913: Council of Constance, 1 January 1913. Original · Archive copy (retrieved 31 Oct 2026)
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Last changed on 31 October 2026. Is something missing or wrong? Suggest an addition or correction.