Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

280 THE PAPAL SCHISM.
dent to Charles that if Urban succeeded in creating
a majority of Italian cardinals, he would restore the
Church to her independence. Under these circumstances,
Charles V. did not hesitate to goad
on to extreme measures the thirteen cardinals,
who were discontented both with Pope Urban's
roughness and with his uprightness. They proclaimed
Robert of Geneva under the title of
Clement VII. as the true Pope, impugning the
validity of Urban's election. " I have understood,"
wrote St. Catherine of Siena to Pope Urban, " that
those devils in human form have made an election.
They have chosen not a vicar of Christ, but an antichrist."
1 What would St. Catherine have said if
she could have foreseen that the reign of anti-Christ
was to last for nearly forty years and to be the real
cause of so deeply wounding Christendom England
never swerved in its allegiance to the true Pope.
For once the national
*
feeling helped our country to
a right conclusion. " In the length and breadth of
England opposition to Clement was identified with
war against France. " 2
At the death of Urban VI., in 1389, it became
clearer that the schism was to be perpetuated.
There had been anti-popes before, usually the tool,
first of a German emperor, afterwards of a French
king, who had set him up. Never before had an
anti-pope owed his election to the electors proper,
1 Pastor, i. 204.
"2 Ibid., i. 107.