Angelo Correr Gives Up the Papacy: Pope Gregory XII Ends the Western Schism
On July 4, 1415, Angelo Correr, better known as Pope Gregory XII, officially renounced his claim to the papacy. It was one of the most important acts in Church history, helping bring an end to the Western Schism, a crisis that had divided the Catholic Church for nearly 40 years.
At the time, multiple men claimed to be the rightful pope, with rival papal courts in Rome, Avignon, and later Pisa. The division left kingdoms, bishops, and ordinary believers uncertain about who was the true leader of the Church. Gregory XII's decision to step aside during the Council of Constance was a rare example of a pope voluntarily giving up his office for the greater good.
His resignation cleared the way for the election of a single universally recognized pope, Martin V, in 1417, finally restoring unity to the Church. Although Gregory XII spent much of his papacy caught in political struggles, history remembers him for making the difficult choice that helped heal one of medieval Europe's greatest religious crises.
