2.7.11

Anti-Pope John XXIII (1410 -1415)

 

There are some stories in history that are almost too bizarre to be believable – and the story of Baldassare Cossa is certainly one that it would be difficult to make up.

Born on an island within the Kingdom of Naples around 1370 it is claimed that Baldassare and his brothers maintained their impoverished noble family’s dignity and standard of living through piracy, and that his two brothers were actually sentenced to death for their sins.

Hardly an auspicious start for any man of the cloth? But from the outset, Baldassare was more of a military man and his first “official” career path was to fight in the Angevin-Neapolitan war for King Charles I of Sicily (Charles of Anjou) to protect his rights in the Kingdom of Naples after he had been dispossessed in Sicily.

His second career choice was the law – he studied at the University of Bologna (NB worth a visit – splendid views of the city from the roof of the astrological dept) and after obtaining his doctorate he began his drift towards religion for a third career path when he was posted to work for Pope Boniface 1x – who was the second Roman Pope of the Western Schism after the Catholic Church split apart and contrived to have two Popes – one in Rome and another (Anti-Pope) in Avignon.

Whilst working for Pope Boniface’s administration Baldassare worked in the department of Simony.

This term is of interest to me because the term simony derives from the works of Simon Magus – the practice of selling church offices and positions to boost church coffers.  In the Brancacci Chapel in the Santa Maria del Carmine church, there is a magnificent and much-queried painting by Filippino Lippi of St Peter and his disciple Phillip disputing with Simon Magus in front of the Emperor Nero.

The small upturned body at their feet is presumed to be his familiar spirit vanquished in this final trial before his suicide/martyrdom after St Peter, who is the hero throughout the stories frescoed on the walls of the Brancacci Chapel, denounces Simon Magus and said “Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money”.

There are some people who still claim that Simon (Peter) Magus – the Sorcerer is really St Peter – the rock on which the Catholic Church is built, – but I think that is one deviation too far today – and it is time to get back to Baldassare Cossa and his perpetual link with Florence!!

In May 1408 Baldassare was one of the seven cardinals who deserted Pope Gregory XII, and convened the Council of Pisa.  Cossa became the leader of a group whose objective was to finally end the schism.  The result was silly beyond belief as they deposed Pope Gregory XII and Anti-Pope Benedict XIII and elected a third Pope Alexander V in 1409.  As the two existing popes – Gregory and Benedict – clearly enjoying their current positions of power – simply ignored this decision – there were now not just two Popes – but three!

Anti-Pope Alexander V was not long for this world and died soon after his promotion – leaving the way clear for Baldassare himself, only made an ordained priest on 24th May 1410, to be consecrated as Pope John XXIII on 25 May 1410!

So now it is time for Florence and the Medici to come into our story. As unlikely as it might seem, the true founder of the Medici fortune is Giovanni di Bicci di Medici – who was a good friend to Baldassare!

File:Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici.jpg

As a supporter of Baldassare Cossa, Giovanni had loaned his money in an astute way at an important point and his reward from his friend in 1413 was for the Medici Bank to get the Curia – a near monopoly of the bank account of the Papal Estates!

The Rome branch of the Medici bank became easily the most profitable (+50% of their revenues) because as the chief Papal Banker the old firm handled, at commission, the greater part of the revenues of the church. Although Pope John was himself deposed in 1415 on this 2-year papal gift was built the financial infrastructure that kept the Medici family – more or less- in power in Florence for more than 300 years!!!

Pope John was unpopular with Jan Hus for his sale of indulgences, but the concept was popular with those who benefited and the Medici family themselves suggested whom the new Pope might like to appoint to key bishoprics – and then – according to Tim Parks   “collected the fees due when the appointed took up his position”

John XXIII’s worst enemy was Ladislaus of Naples, who protected the still hopeful “Pope” Gregory XII in Rome.

The newly elected “Pope”John , although seemingly in charge of the finances, was forced to spend a year in absentia in Bologna before he joined forces with Louis II of Anjou to march against Ladislaus ( and Pope Gregory).

An initial victory allowed Pope John to live in Rome at last, but success proved short-lived and the forces of Ladislaus retook Rome in 1413, forcing John to flee to Florence  ( he is rumoured to have brought his jewelled mitre and the sacred finger of John the Baptist (see reliquary image below) with him as a keepsake!) where he demanded the further support of the Medici to try to get his job back!

The next stage of the rival popes was tragic for our Anti-Pope – the Council of Constance was convened in November 1412. Their resolution was that all three popes should abdicate and a new pope be elected. (Haven’t we had this before with a smaller number of popes?)

Gregory and John initially agreed, but then John got cold feet and fled the council, which promptly deposed him and tried him for heresy, simony, sodomy, tyranny, incest, piracy, schism and immorality ….and found him guilty on all counts!

Christopher Hibbert lists his specific crimes as: heresy, the murder of a rival pope, Alexander V, and the seduction, whilst Papal representative in Bologna of no fewer than 100 ladies of that city! Cossa (as he had now been reduced to) was imprisoned in Germany and ransomed by his friend, Giovanni di Bicci di Medici.

Pope Martin V was elected, and the last remaining previous claimant in AvignonBenedict XIII, was excommunicated when he refused to resign as well. At least they got back to a sensible number of Popes!

Baldassara Cossa’s final draw on the Medici coffers was for his splendid tomb – still to be seen as a tribute to the link between the papacy and the Medici in Florence.  Made of marble and bronze it was created by Donatello and Michelozzo to integrate with the interior design of the Florence Baptistry adjacent to the Duomo.

It was commissioned by the executors of Cossa’s will after his death on December 22, 1419 and completed during the 1420s.

The cost of this edifice was reputed to be 800 Florins – at a time when a rich man could build an entire palazzo in Florence for 1,000 Florins –

Interestingly, the positioning of this tomb is beneath the dramatic image of the devil dishing out punishments at the time of the last judgment – is this irony ..or pathos?

Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money”

attrib. – St Peter to Simon Magus.

 

 

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