Middle Ages
Which late medieval crisis is this kind of council trying to resolve?
Answer
The Western Schism
Explanation
The scene shows a church council gathered to end decades in which Latin Christendom had rival popes—one in Rome and one in Avignon, later even a third at Pisa. Such councils asserted conciliarism, the idea that an ecumenical council could judge or depose popes, and sought to reunify the Church by securing resignations or deposing claimants and electing a single universally recognized pontiff.
This rupture began in 1378 after the papacy’s return from Avignon, when disputed elections split loyalties across Europe. The Council of Pisa (1409) tried but accidentally created three obediences; the Council of Constance (1414–1418) finally restored unity by electing Martin V. The crisis weakened papal prestige, empowered secular rulers and church councils, and foreshadowed reform movements that would culminate in the Reformation.