BERARDI, GIOVANNI

BERARDI, GIOVANNI. - Cardinal, born at Corcumello (L'Aquila) into the noble family of the counts of the Marsi of Tagliacozzo, died in Rome on 21 January 1449. On 20 October 1421, he was appointed archbishop of Taranto by Martin V. Devoted to the Holy See, he was sent by Eugenius IV, along with other prelates, as plenipotentiary to the Council of Basel to restore relations between the Pope and the Council. After lengthy negotiations, on 18 August he and his companions were admitted to the general congregation of 22 August 1437, and the following day, with a lengthy speech and solid arguments, he defended papal primacy, justifying the previous dissolution of the Council by Eugenius IV (18 December 1431), asserting that it pertains to the Pope not only to convoke but also to confirm general councils; he implored the fathers to accept the Pope's decision and to gather in council in an Italian city (cf. Mansi, XXIX, cols. 482-92). The fathers did not yield (3 September 1432). The following year, B. along with other nuncios was entrusted with temporarily presiding over the Council (7 March 1433). This was an implicit recognition of the Council; the explicit one came on 15 December 1433. On the eve of this, the Pope had confirmed to B., Cardinal Cesarini, Pietro, bishop of Padua, and Ludovico Barbo, abbot of S. Giustina, the task of temporarily replacing the cardinals who were to preside over the Council. In reality, beginning with the 17th session (26 April 1434), B. and his colleagues were the true presidents of the Council. On 24 April 1434, they had sworn, in their own name, not the Pope's, to recognize the superiority of the Council over the Pope. In return, B. continued to defend papal rights, as for example in the 21st session (9 June 1435) regarding the abolition of annates and other revenues of the Roman Curia. Subsequently (17 February 1436), Eugenius IV entrusted him with definitively pronouncing on all conflicts concerning the possession of benefices. In 1437, B. came to Italy to speak with the Pope, and on his return to Basel he advocated transferring the Council to Florence. When, however, the majority chose Avignon, B. seized the conciliar seal by deceit and affixed it to the decree of the minority. He was arrested but managed to escape and bring the decree to Rome. The Council stripped him of all dignity, but the Pope quashed the sentence and created him cardinal with the title of SS. Nereo e Achilleo (18 December 1439). Later he was sent as legate to Naples to establish peace between Alfonso of Aragon and René of Anjou. He continued to govern the see of Taranto until he was transferred to the see of Palestrina (7 March 1444). He then became dean of the Sacred College and Major Penitentiary. A partisan of the Orsini, he succeeded in eliminating the candidacy of Pompeo Colonna after the death of Eugenius IV and in securing that of Tommaso Parentucelli (Nicholas V).