Boniface IX, Pope

BONIFACE IX, Pope. - When Urban VI died in Rome on 15 Oct. 1389, he left the papacy in a very difficult position; Clement VII sat as anti-pope in Avignon, while those who had remained faithful to the Roman obedience had been disgusted by Urban's harsh intemperance. The 14 cardinals faithful to the latter gathered promptly in Rome and on 2 Nov. elected as pope Cardinal Pietro Tomacelli, a Neapolitan, under the name of B. IX. He was in the prime of manhood, courteous and conciliatory in manner, but resolute and shrewd; so that he soon succeeded in reconciling those who had turned away from Urban and in restoring the fortunes of his obedience, which had been seriously compromised also by the rebellion of certain cardinals. Excommunicated by Clement VII, he responded with a counter-excommunication, making a personal understanding for the ending of the schism impossible. What, moreover, was the state of mind of the Avignon party became clear at the death of Clement (16 Sept. 1394), when his cardinals, deaf to the invitation of Charles VI of France to refrain from a new election, elected after twelve days Cardinal Pietro de Luna under the name of Benedict XIII, frustrating every attempt at reunion. In order to eliminate the power of Louis II of Anjou, who had succeeded in seizing a great part of the kingdom of Naples, B. favored the fortunes of the house of Durazzo with all the means at his disposal; he set about dispersing the Breton bands still powerful around Lake Bolsena and recovering Viterbo. Forced to leave Rome in Oct. 1392 because of disagreements with the Romans, B. took refuge in Perugia; he returned to Rome on 26 Sept. 1393 after having forced the Romans to accept terms that made him the true lord of the city. Having broken the power of Onorato Caetani, count of Fondi, and of Giovanni di Sciarra, thanks to the support of Ladislaus, king of Naples, he was able to secure predominance over all his enemies. For this reason in 1400 he set about rebuilding Castel Sant'Angelo, which the Romans had destroyed under Urban VI, and fortifying the Capitoline. In these risky undertakings B. was effectively helped by his brother Andrea and by his nephews, toward whom he showed a favor that seemed excessive, but is to be excused because of the necessities of the moment. He did not shrink from procuring the necessary money by the granting of indulgences and spiritual graces, by the conferral of benefices in violation of ecclesiastical laws, by the imposition and the tightening of taxes, such as the "annates," in conferring minor benefices; for this he was accused of simony, and certainly ecclesiastical discipline was thereby gravely compromised and those abuses gained a wide foothold, which the following age proposed in vain to eradicate. The jubilees of 1389 (already promulgated by his predecessor) and of 1400 also served to increase B.'s credit in all the countries of his obedience, particularly in Germany, where they recognized Rupert after the deposition of the emperor Wenceslaus. His Avignon adversary was struggling with far greater difficulties; on 8 Jan. 1404 he promulgated five bulls promising to work to reestablish religious unity; at the end of June he decided to send an embassy to Rome with the task of urging a meeting with B. in order to procure peace for the Church. His ambassadors arrived in Rome on 22 Sept.; on 1 Oct. B. IX died without having been able to conclude anything on the matter. During his pontificate he had created six cardinals and canonized St. Bridget of Sweden.