John XXII, Pope, one of the most celebrated of the pontiffs of Avignon, whose family name was James de Cuhoj-s, was elected pope in 1316, on the death of Clem- ent V. Attempting to carry out, in ver}'^ altered circuni- stances, the vast and comprehensive poUcy of Cilregory VII and Innocent III, John interposed his authority in the contest for the imperial crown in Germany between Louis of Bavaria and Frederick of Austria, by not only espousing the cause of the latter, but even excommu- nicating his rival. Public opinion, however, and the political relations of the papacy founded upon it, had already begun to change. The people of Germany op- posed this policy, and encouraged the Diet of Frank- furt to ignore the papal action, and it was by this body declared that the imperial authority depended upon God alone, and that the pope had no temporal author- ity, direct or indirect, within the empire. A long con- test ensued, whicli resulted in his deposition. (See be- low.) In Italy also he experienced much trouble. The Guelphs or papal party, led by Robert, king of Naples, defeated the (ihibcllincs, and the pope excom- municated Matteo Visconti, the great leader of that party, and likewise Frederick, king of Sicily. Between Guelphs and Ghibellines, Italy was at that time in a dreadful state of confusion. The pope preached a cru- sade against Visconti, Cane della Scala, and the Este, as heretics. Robert, with the assistance of the pope, aspired to the dominion of all Italy, and the pope sent a legate, who, at the head of an army, assisted Robert and the other Gueliihs against the Ghibellines of Lombardy. But the Ghibellines had clever leaders; Castruccio Cas- tracani. Cane della Scala, and the Visconti kept the fate of the war in suspense luitil Louis of Bavaria sent troops to their assistance. In 1327 Louis finally came himself to Italy, and, after being crowned at IMilan with the iron crown, proceeded to Rome, where the people roused in his favor, drflve awaj' the papal legate, and caused Louis to be crowned emperor in St. Peter's by the bishops of Venice and of Aleria. After the coronation, Louis held an assembl}' in the square before the church, in which he summoned John under his original name, James of Cahors, to appear to answer the charges of heresy and high treason against him. After this mock citation, the emperor proceeded to depose the pope, and to appoint in his stead I'eter de Corvara, a monk of Abruzzo. who assumed the name of Nicholas V. Louis also proclaimed a law, which was sanctioned by the pec-
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pie of Rome, to the effect that the pope should reside at Rome, and, if absent more than three months, should be considered as deposed. These measures, however, were attended with little residt. Louis returned to Germany, and the Guelphic predominance at Rome was restored, the papal representative resuming liis authority. But John XXII never personally visited Rome, having died at Avignon in 1334, when he had accumulated in his coffers "the enormous sum of 18,000,000 florins of gold, .h.hn is renowned in theological history as the author of tiiat portion of the canon law called the Extrai-affantes, and also for the singular opinion he entertained that the just will not be admitted to the beatific vision untU after the general resurrection. This opinion he was obliged formallv to retract i)efore his death (see Reichel, lionuiH See ill the Middle A nr^.y. l-'l). Under his pon- titicatethe clergy and people ot'tlic towns were deprived of the right of electing their bishops, which right he reserved to himself on payment of certain fees by the person elected. He was esjiecially rapacious in the col- lection of the Annates, or First Fruits. See Bower, His- tory of the Popes, vi, 413 sq. ; Labbe, xv, 147 ; Enrjlish Cydopiedia, s. v.
John XXIII, Pope, a native of Naples, and previ- ously t(i his election known as cardinal C'ossci, succeeded Alexander V in 1410. A man of great talents, but worthless in character, his reputation as cardinal under his predecessor is by no means enviable. Indeed, he is accused of having poisoned Alexander V (q. v.). As a jiiipe, he supported the claims of Louis of Anjou against Lailislaus, king of Naples; but Ladislaus, having de- fi^ated his rival in battle, advanced to Rome, and obliged John to flee to Florence. He then preached a cru- sade against Ladislaus, which gave occasion to denun- ciations and invectives from John Huss. Meantime the great schism continued, and Gregory, styled XII, and Benedict, antipopes, divided with Jolin the homage of the Ciiristian stntes. In his exile, wishing to secure the favor of the emperor, he proposed to Sigismund the convocation of a general council to restore peace to the (Jhurch, and Sigismund fixed on the city of Constance as the iilace of assembly. On hearing of the death of Ladislaus, by which event Rome became again open to him, John repented of what he had proposed, but was obliged to comply with the general wish by repairing to Constance. By this council (see vol. ii, p. 486) John was forced to drop the papal tiara; but soon after, by the assistance of Frederick of Austria, he resumed his authority by ordering the council to dissolve. This provoked the question whetlier the pope is the supreme authority in the Church, and the fourth and fifth ses- sions decided " that the General Council, once assem- bled, is superior to the pope, and can receive no orders from liim." A formal process was now instituted against John ; sixty charges were laid against him, and lie was (inally deposed on May 29, 1415, and given into the cus- tody of the elector palatine. After the election of Mar- fin V and the termination of the Council of Constance, John, now again Balthazar Cossa, escaped from Ger- many and made his submission to the new pope, who treated him kin.Uy, and gave him the first rank among tlie cardinals. He died soon after, Nov. 22, 1419, at Florence. The name of John, which most of those who bore It disgraced, either by debauchery-, simony, or other cntnes. has since been avoided by the occupants of the chair <,t M. Peter. See Ilerzog, lieal-Kno/klop. vi, 7.o9 ; Ln,j.r;,dnp. s. v.; Muratori, Tite, iii, 2, p.' 846 sq.; Rid- dle,/'„yw^, ii,.%3. (J.II.W.)