The Council of Constance
Was the Council of Constance a legitimate council before the three nations (Rome, Avignon and Pisa) met together?
Juan de Torquemada, Dominican papal apologist, argued that “the council was valid only after the three obediences elected Odo Colona (Martin V) as pope” (Izbicki, Thomas pg. 7). There are multiple arguments that have circulated about the Council of Constance. However none of the arguments discredit the Council of Constance from being an established council. The most debatable argument is that the Constance assembly (Council of Constance) became a true and effective council when the three nations; Rome, Avignon and Pisa met together in one place (the cathedral of Constance). This council originally met November 5, 1414 to bring forward a plain that would reverse any and all things that caused more chaos within the churches. The Council of Constance was originally brought forward to reform the church from The Great Western Schism. The act of ending the schism and reforming the church was tried before by the Council of Pisa but they failed. The Council of Pisa failed because all three nations were not on one accord and that's when the Council of Constance was put into affect. The Council of Constance was developing a Reformation Movement regarding the Roman Catholic Churches. The council was successful at ending the schism, but failed at reforming the church.
The council began placing their ideas in motion on November 16, 1414 at the cathedral of Constance. Many bishops and nation representatives from all parts of Europe, Rome, etc. were present at the cathedral. The Council of Constance lasted over a long period of time. The Council of Constance was also consisted of forty five sessions. The council began in 1414 and continued to have sessions until the late 1800’s. The council met to discuss the many issues of the church. There were several topics at hand, but the main topics of the council were, finding solutions to end the Great Western Schism also known as the separation of the churches and to end the heresy that was being brought forward by Wyclef and Hus. The schism had divided the church since 1378. The Council of Pisa was the first council that was created to try to bring an end to the schism. However it was not the last council that was formed.
The Council of Pisa was formed in 1409; it was formed before the Council of Constance. The Council of Pisa was supposed to unify the church, but it only made matters worse. The Council of Pisa was responsible for appointing three popes at that time. Not one of the nations agreed on one pope to be the head of the churches. The Christians owed obedience to three different popes. The Council of Pisa created a problem within a problem. After the Council of Pisa disbanded the Council of Constance formed to try and regain order. The Council of Constance did indeed bring all alliances together to try to find solutions to the problems that the churches were facing. Other councils were formed between the many sessions of the Council of Constance like the Council of Basel. The Council of Basel, also known as the Conciliar Movement, was formed in 1431.
Arguments rise and raise doubt about there only being one Council of Constance. There was a thought that the Council of Constance should be addressed as the Councils of Constance. This controversy started after Juan de Taquemada and Eugenis IV developed there arguments to prove that the true pope at the time the Council of Constance was formed determines the legitimacy of the council. It was also written that one of the councils was not recognized by the true pope at that time. There were two known Councils of Constance; the first created November 16, 1414, was styled as (ecumenical) pertaining to the bishops and others that formed the council. However, this council was not ratified or convoked by the true pope of that day. The second council formed July 4, 1415 was ratified as ecumenical by the proxy and was recognized by Pope Martin V.
The two known popes that the argument transpired around were Pope Odo Colonna (Martin V) and Pope Gregory XII. Some apologists argue that Pope Gregory XII was the true pope at the time that the council was formed. Eugenius states that the council created the Haec Sancta with support of Gregory XII, whom died two years before the document was released, in the first sessions, at Constance (Izbicki, Thomas pg.9). Others persist that the council was not a legitimate council until Pope Martin V was elected as pope. Juan de Taquemada is trying to prove that the Council of Constance was a ratified council under Martin V, whom was deemed pope in session 45, and all action before him including the Haec Sancta was illegitimate (Izbicki, Thomas pg.10). Both of these arguments have some truth, because the Councils of Constance decrees/documents from the first sessions and so on are being used by the councils that form after them in later sessions (Izbicki, Thomas pg. 12).
The Council of Constance was clearing the board by ruling out the popes that were bound by the Council of Pisa; to appoint one pope as the head of all churches. The Council of Constance presented a decree or document Haec Sancta. Haec Sancta was established for the church’s representative, or the general council, to grant the ability to bond the pope in matters of faith, non-schism, and reform. This was portrayed as an ordinance that was directly from Christ. Haec Sancta was a moral bond that the pope was to follow concerning the church’s reform.
Council of Constance was the building block or the foundation for reformation. The council’s concerns were with indulgences, heresy, schisms, etc; through these issues a Conciliar Movement began took take place. The Conciliar Movement was used by the Council of Basel to declare Conciliar Supremacy over the pope. This decree had been defined at Constance to be an article of faith (Izbicki, Thomas pg. 10). The Council of Basel used Haec Sancta to argue the rights that the people had over the pope and emperor. The actions of Basel resulted in a Conciliar Crisis. The Council of Basel was formed in the later session of the Council of Constance; Council of Basel was deemed as bad and the Council of Constance was deemed good. The Council of Constance was formed to protect the church from popes that were heretique, that abused indulgences, created schism, etc and they were doing so by the decree of Haec Sancta (Izbicki, Thomas pg.11). However, the Council of Basel used Haec Sancta as a source to reign over the pope.
“The scandal of the Great Schism had the effect of turning attention from the old familiar dispute between the two powers, temporal and spiritual, and focusing it upon the nature of the Church itself” (Oakley, Francis pg. 369). The church business had become a political debate. Conciliarist Theorist and the Resistant Theorist both raised accusations about the political side of the Conciliar Movement. “Conciliar Theorist expressed their principles in a form in which they could readily be applied to politics, and so they were” (Oakley, Francis pg. 369). The Conciliar Theory was stated to be an influence for the secular politics and the constitutionalist. Resistant Theorist have taken some of the ideas from the Conciliar Theory and empowered the secular politics (Oakley, Francis pg. 374). Figgis stated that “it forms a watershed between the medieval and modern world” (Oakley, Francis pg. 369). The councils were handling the church as if it was applicable to government. Conciliar Theorists are of Constance, they justified their grounds of reason, on policy and scripture. The Councils or Conciliar Theorist opened the minds of constitutionalist to motions towards constitutionalism. By the council’s example politics of modern world waved towards the ideas of the spiritual world.
It can be concluded that the Council of Constance was a legitimate council when the three nations Rome, Agnon and Pisa met at the cathedral (Constance). The three nations formed an alliance with each other to be able to solve the problems that the Catholic Churches were facing; different beliefs being brought forward that conspired to heresy, indulgences that were being made for greed rather than worship and to end the separation that the church fell weak towards since 1378. Also to bring forward a true head of the Catholic Churches. There were three popes in ordinance by the three nations that were feuding during the Council of Pisa. Eugenius and Juan were both right about trying to justify who the true pope was at that time. Gregory XII was one of the last popes to be replaced before the council, whom allowed the decree Haec Sancta. Martin V was the true pope by the 45 session. The Council of Constance did end the schism, but the council was not successful enough to reform the church.