Papal conclave of November 18 to November 30, 1406 – the papal conclave

Papal conclave

A papal conclave is a meeting of the College of Cardinals convened to elect a Bishop of Rome, who then becomes the Pope during a period of vacancy in the papal office. The Pope is considered by Roman Catholics to be the apostolic successor of Saint Peter and earthly head of the Roman Catholic Church...

 of the time of the Great Western Schism, convened after the death of Pope Innocent VII

Pope Innocent VII

Pope Innocent VII , born Cosimo de' Migliorati, was briefly Pope at Rome, from 1404 to his death, during the Western Schism while there was a rival Pope, antipope Benedict XIII , at Avignon.Migliorati was born to a simple family of Sulmona in the Abruzzi...

, it elected Cardinal Angelo Correr, who under the name of Gregory XII became the fourth pope of the Roman Obedience.

Cardinal electors

Pope Innocent VII died on November 6, 1406. At the time of his death, there were eighteen cardinal

Cardinal (Catholicism)

A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...

s in the Roman Obedience of the College of Cardinals

College of Cardinals

The College of Cardinals is the body of all cardinals of the Catholic Church.A function of the college is to advise the pope about church matters when he summons them to an ordinary consistory. It also convenes on the death or abdication of a pope as a papal conclave to elect a successor...

. Fourteen of them participated in the election of his successor:

Elector	Title	Elevated	Elevator	Notes
Angelo Acciaioli Angelo Acciaioli Angelo Acciaioli II or Angelo Acciaioli junior was an Italian Catholic cardinal.- Biography :Born in Florence, Angelo was elected bishop of Rapallo in 1375, but in 1383 he was transferred to the see of Florence where he had been preceded by a previous family member many years before, Angelo...	Cardinal-Bishop of Ostia e Velletri	1384, December 17	Urban VI Pope Urban VI Pope Urban VI , born Bartolomeo Prignano, was Pope from 1378 to 1389.-Biography:Born in Itri, he was a devout monk and learned casuist, trained at Avignon. On March 21, 1364, he was consecrated Archbishop of Acerenza in the Kingdom of Naples...	Dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals; Vice-Chancellor of the Holy Roman Church; Archpriest of the patriarchal Vatican Basilica
Enrico Minutolo	Cardinal-Bishop of Frascati	1389, December 18	Boniface IX Pope Boniface IX Pope Boniface IX , born Piero Tomacelli, was the second Roman Pope of the Western Schism from November 2, 1389, until October 1, 1404...	Archpriest of the patriarchal Liberian Basilica; Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals The Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals was the treasurer of that body.He administered all property, fees, funds and revenue belonging to the College of Cardinals, celebrated the requiem Mass for a deceased cardinal and was charged with the registry of the Acta Consistoralia.It is...
Antonio Caetani	Cardinal-Bishop of Palestrina	1402, February 27	Boniface IX Pope Boniface IX Pope Boniface IX , born Piero Tomacelli, was the second Roman Pope of the Western Schism from November 2, 1389, until October 1, 1404...	Grand penitentiary; Archpriest of the patriarchal Lateran Basilica
Angelo d'Anna de Sommariva, O.S.B.Cam.	Cardinal-Priest of S. Pudenziana	1384, December 17	Urban VI Pope Urban VI Pope Urban VI , born Bartolomeo Prignano, was Pope from 1378 to 1389.-Biography:Born in Itri, he was a devout monk and learned casuist, trained at Avignon. On March 21, 1364, he was consecrated Archbishop of Acerenza in the Kingdom of Naples...
Corrado Carracioli	Cardinal-Priest of S. Crisogono	1405, June 12	Innocent VII Pope Innocent VII Pope Innocent VII , born Cosimo de' Migliorati, was briefly Pope at Rome, from 1404 to his death, during the Western Schism while there was a rival Pope, antipope Benedict XIII , at Avignon.Migliorati was born to a simple family of Sulmona in the Abruzzi...	Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church; Administrator of the see of Mileto
Angelo Correr Pope Gregory XII Pope Gregory XII , born Angelo Correr or Corraro, Pope from 1406 to 1415, succeeded Pope Innocent VII on 30 November 1406....	Cardinal-Priest of S. Marco	1405, June 12	Innocent VII Pope Innocent VII Pope Innocent VII , born Cosimo de' Migliorati, was briefly Pope at Rome, from 1404 to his death, during the Western Schism while there was a rival Pope, antipope Benedict XIII , at Avignon.Migliorati was born to a simple family of Sulmona in the Abruzzi...	Latin Patriarch of Constantinople Latin Patriarch of Constantinople The Latin Patriarch of Constantinople was an office established as a result of Crusader activity in the Near East. The title should not be confused with that of the Patriarch of Constantinople, an office which existed before and after.... ; Administrator of the see of Coron (elected Pope Gregory XII)
Giordano Orsini	Cardinal-Priest of SS. Silvestro e Martino ai Monti	1405, June 12	Innocent VII Pope Innocent VII Pope Innocent VII , born Cosimo de' Migliorati, was briefly Pope at Rome, from 1404 to his death, during the Western Schism while there was a rival Pope, antipope Benedict XIII , at Avignon.Migliorati was born to a simple family of Sulmona in the Abruzzi...	Cardinal-protector of the Order of Franciscans
Giovanni Migliorati	Cardinal-Priest of S. Croce in Gerusalemme	1405, June 12	Innocent VII Pope Innocent VII Pope Innocent VII , born Cosimo de' Migliorati, was briefly Pope at Rome, from 1404 to his death, during the Western Schism while there was a rival Pope, antipope Benedict XIII , at Avignon.Migliorati was born to a simple family of Sulmona in the Abruzzi...  (Cardinal-nephew Cardinal-nephew A cardinal-nephew is a cardinal elevated by a Pope who is that cardinal's uncle, or, more generally, his relative. The practice of creating cardinal-nephews originated in the Middle Ages, and reached its apex during the 16th and 17th centuries. The word nepotism originally referred specifically to... )
Antonio Calvi	Cardinal-Priest S. Prassede	1405, June 12	Innocent VII Pope Innocent VII Pope Innocent VII , born Cosimo de' Migliorati, was briefly Pope at Rome, from 1404 to his death, during the Western Schism while there was a rival Pope, antipope Benedict XIII , at Avignon.Migliorati was born to a simple family of Sulmona in the Abruzzi...
Landolfo Maramaldo	Cardinal-Deacon of S. Nicola in Carcere Tulliano	1381, December 21	Urban VI Pope Urban VI Pope Urban VI , born Bartolomeo Prignano, was Pope from 1378 to 1389.-Biography:Born in Itri, he was a devout monk and learned casuist, trained at Avignon. On March 21, 1364, he was consecrated Archbishop of Acerenza in the Kingdom of Naples...	Protodeacon Protodeacon Protodeacon derives from the Greek proto- meaning 'first' and diakonos, which is a standard ancient Greek word meaning "servant", "waiting-man," "minister" or "messenger." The word in English may refer to various clergymen, depending upon the usage of the particular church in question.-Eastern...  of the Sacred College of Cardinals; Legate in Perugia Perugia Perugia is the capital city of the region of Umbria in central Italy, near the River Tiber, and the capital of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area....
Rinaldo Brancaccio Rinaldo Brancaccio Rinaldo Brancaccio was an Italian cardinal from the 14th and 15th century, during the Western Schism. There were other members of his family created cardinals : Landolfo Brancaccio ; Niccolò Brancaccio, pseudocardinal of Antipope Clement VII ; Ludovico Bonito ; Tommaso Brancaccio ; Francesco Maria...	Cardinal-Deacon of SS. Vito e Modesto	1384, December 17	Urban VI Pope Urban VI Pope Urban VI , born Bartolomeo Prignano, was Pope from 1378 to 1389.-Biography:Born in Itri, he was a devout monk and learned casuist, trained at Avignon. On March 21, 1364, he was consecrated Archbishop of Acerenza in the Kingdom of Naples...
Oddone Colonna Pope Martin V Pope Martin V , born Odo Colonna, was Pope from 1417 to 1431. His election effectively ended the Western Schism .-Biography:...	Cardinal-Deacon of S. Giorgio in Velabro	1405, June 12	Innocent VII Pope Innocent VII Pope Innocent VII , born Cosimo de' Migliorati, was briefly Pope at Rome, from 1404 to his death, during the Western Schism while there was a rival Pope, antipope Benedict XIII , at Avignon.Migliorati was born to a simple family of Sulmona in the Abruzzi...	Bishop-elect of Urbino Urbino Urbino is a walled city in the Marche region of Italy, south-west of Pesaro, a World Heritage Site notable for a remarkable historical legacy of independent Renaissance culture, especially under the patronage of Federico da Montefeltro, duke of Urbino from 1444 to 1482...
Pietro Stefaneschi	Cardinal-Deacon of S. Angelo in Pescheria	1405, June 12	Innocent VII Pope Innocent VII Pope Innocent VII , born Cosimo de' Migliorati, was briefly Pope at Rome, from 1404 to his death, during the Western Schism while there was a rival Pope, antipope Benedict XIII , at Avignon.Migliorati was born to a simple family of Sulmona in the Abruzzi...
Jean Gilles	Cardinal-Deacon of SS. Cosma e Damiano	1405, June 12	Innocent VII Pope Innocent VII Pope Innocent VII , born Cosimo de' Migliorati, was briefly Pope at Rome, from 1404 to his death, during the Western Schism while there was a rival Pope, antipope Benedict XIII , at Avignon.Migliorati was born to a simple family of Sulmona in the Abruzzi...

All the electors were Italians, except of Jean Gilles, who was French. Four of them were elevated by Urban VI, two by Boniface IX, and eight by Innocent VII.

Absentee cardinals

Four cardinals, one created by Urban VI, one by Boniface IX and two by Innocent VII, did not participate in this conclave:

Elector	Title	Elevated	Elevator	Notes
Balint Alsani	Cardinal-Priest of S. Sabina	1384, December 17	Urban VI Pope Urban VI Pope Urban VI , born Bartolomeo Prignano, was Pope from 1378 to 1389.-Biography:Born in Itri, he was a devout monk and learned casuist, trained at Avignon. On March 21, 1364, he was consecrated Archbishop of Acerenza in the Kingdom of Naples...	Archpriest of the Sacred College of Cardinals; Administrator of Pécs Pécs Pécs is the fifth largest city of Hungary, located on the slopes of the Mecsek mountains in the south-west of the country, close to its border with Croatia. It is the administrative and economical centre of Baranya county...
Francesco Uguccione Francesco Uguccione Francesco Uguccione was the Archbishop of Bordeaux from 1384 until his death. He was a lawyer from Urbino and a staunch supporter of the King of England in the Hundred Years' War....	Cardinal-Priest of SS. IV Coronati	1405, June 12	Innocent VII Pope Innocent VII Pope Innocent VII , born Cosimo de' Migliorati, was briefly Pope at Rome, from 1404 to his death, during the Western Schism while there was a rival Pope, antipope Benedict XIII , at Avignon.Migliorati was born to a simple family of Sulmona in the Abruzzi...	Administrator of Bordeaux Bordeaux Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
Pietro Filargo of Candia Antipope Alexander V Alexander V was antipope during the Western Schism . He reigned from June 26, 1409, to his death in 1410 and is officially regarded by the Roman Catholic Church as an antipope.... , O.F.M.	Cardinal-Priest of SS. XII Apostoli	1405, June 12	Innocent VII Pope Innocent VII Pope Innocent VII , born Cosimo de' Migliorati, was briefly Pope at Rome, from 1404 to his death, during the Western Schism while there was a rival Pope, antipope Benedict XIII , at Avignon.Migliorati was born to a simple family of Sulmona in the Abruzzi...	Administrator of Milan Milan Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
Baldassare Cossa Antipope John XXIII Baldassarre Cossa was Pope John XXIII during the Western Schism. The Catholic Church regards him as an antipope.-Biography:...	Cardinal-Deacon S. Eustachio	1402, February 27	Boniface IX Pope Boniface IX Pope Boniface IX , born Piero Tomacelli, was the second Roman Pope of the Western Schism from November 2, 1389, until October 1, 1404...	Legate in Romagna Romagna Romagna is an Italian historical region that approximately corresponds to the south-eastern portion of present-day Emilia-Romagna. Traditionally, it is limited by the Apennines to the south-west, the Adriatic to the east, and the rivers Reno and Sillaro to the north and west...  and Bologna Bologna Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...

The election of Pope Gregory XII

Fourteen cardinals present in Rome entered the conclave in Vatican on November 18, twelve days after the death of Innocent VII.

Initially, all the electors subscribed the conclave capitulation

Conclave capitulation

A conclave capitulation is a capitulation drawn up by the College of Cardinals during a papal conclave, attempting to constrain the actions of the Pope elected by the conclave. Generally, all cardinals would swear to uphold it if elected Pope, and the capitulation would be finished before the first...

, in which each of them swore that, if elected, he would abdicate provided Antipope Benedict XIII did the same or should die; also, that he would not create new cardinals except to maintain parity of members with the Avignon cardinals; and that within three months he would enter into negotiations with his rival about a place of meeting.

Almost no further details about this conclave are known, except of its final result. On November 30 Cardinal Angelo Correr, proposed by Cardinal Caetani, was unanimously elected Pope, in spite of his very advanced age (probably ca. 80). He accepted his election and took the name of Gregory XII. Although he claimed the legality of his pontificate, nine years later he abdicated in the Council of Constance

Council of Constance

The Council of Constance is the 15th ecumenical council recognized by the Roman Catholic Church, held from 1414 to 1418. The council ended the Three-Popes Controversy, by deposing or accepting the resignation of the remaining Papal claimants and electing Pope Martin V.The Council also condemned and...

, making possible to restore the unity of the Roman Catholic Church

Roman Catholic Church

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

.

External links

• List of participants of the Papal conclave, 1406
• Vatican History: Konklave 1406 (in German)