Why were there three popes at the same time? - Joëlle Rollo-Koster

翻译人员: Jacky He 校对人员: Gia Hwang

For almost two millennia, the Pope has been a figure

在几乎两千年的时间里，

教皇一直是世界各地 天主教徒的至高精神指引。

of supreme spiritual authority for Catholics around the world.

But in the late 14th century, Catholics found themselves

但到了十四世纪晚期，

天主教徒发现教皇不是一位， 也不是两位，而是三位。

with not one, not two, but three popes.

Where did this plethora of popes come from?

这些教皇是从何而来？

And who among them was the genuine article?

而其中哪位是真的？

The origins of this papal predicament began in 1296,

这个教皇困境在 1296 年开始，

when France’s King Philip IV decided to raise taxes on the Church.

当时法国国王菲利普四世 决定给教廷加税。

Given the clergy’s political power,

因为神职人员掌握巨大的政治力量，

this offended Pope Boniface VIII, leading him to write the “Unam Sanctam”:

这惹恼了教皇波尼法爵八世， 致使他写下（教宗诏书）《独一至圣》：

a radical decree asserting the Pope’s total supremacy over earthly rulers.

这条全新的法令宣称，教皇 凌驾于俗世统治者之上。

But King Philip struck back.

但菲利普国王做出回击，

He declared Boniface a heretic and tried to have him arrested in a violent raid.

他宣布波尼法爵是异教徒， 试图在一场暴力袭击中将他逮捕。

Boniface survived the assault, but died soon after.

波尼法爵幸存下来， 但不久便去世了。

And following a short-lived successor, Pope Clement V was elected in 1305.

在一位短命的继位者后，教皇克莱孟五世 (Pope Clement V) 在 1305 年当选。

A French diplomat seeking peace in the war between England and his homeland,

作为寻求英法战争和平的法国使者，

Clement wanted to stay close to the conflict

and escape the demands of Rome.

也为了避开罗马的管控，

So in 1309, he moved the seat of the papacy to Avignon—

在 1309 年，他将 圣座移到了阿维尼翁，

a city close to France but owned by a vassal of the Church.

一座接近法国但受教廷掌控的城邦。

The papacy remained here for the terms of seven popes

七届教皇在这里履职，

until the reigning Pope finally returned to Italy in 1376.

直到任职的教皇终于 在 1376 年回到了意大利。

But just several months after his arrival, he suddenly died.

但在他到达后几个月后， 却突然死亡了。

This shocking development meant a new pope had to be elected immediately—

这一令人震惊的事态发展意味着 必须立即选出一位新教皇——

and in Rome, where there hadn’t been a papal election in over 70 years.

而在罗马，那里已经 70 多年没有过教皇选举了。

The Romans were determined to elect one of their own

罗马人决心推选他们自己那边的，

and restore Rome as the seat of Western Christendom.

并恢复罗马作为西方 基督教世界的所在地。

Local officials pressured cardinals to choose an Italian pope,

地方官员给红衣主教施压， 使其选择意大利教皇，

while rowdy mobs raided the conclave and plundered the papal wine cellar.

而暴徒们则突袭了会议厅， 并洗劫了教会酒窖。

Amidst this chaos, the cardinals elected the Neapolitan Archbishop of Bari

在这混乱之中，红衣主教 推选了那不勒斯的巴里大主教，

to become Pope Urban VI.

成为教皇乌尔巴诺六世 (Pope Urban VI)。

Initially, Urban was seen as a safe choice.

最初，乌尔巴诺似乎是稳妥的选择，

But he quickly proved to be a reformer who sought to limit the cardinal’s finances.

但他很快成为一位改革者， 尝试限制红衣主教的钱财。

Desperate to maintain their luxurious lifestyles,

为竭力保持他们的奢侈生活方式，

the cardinals declared the recent election illegitimate,

红衣主教们宣布这次选举无效，

since it was decided under pressure from the Roman mob.

因为它是在罗马暴徒的施压下决定的。

They denounced Urban as a usurper

他们谴责乌尔巴诺是篡夺者，

and held a new conclave to elect Pope Clement VII.

并展开新一轮秘密会议，推选教皇 克莱孟七世 (Pope Clement VII)。

Clement attempted to excommunicate Urban,

克莱孟试图将乌尔巴诺逐出教会，

but he refused to recognize the authority of Clement

但乌尔巴诺拒绝承认

克莱孟或其贪婪的红衣主教的权威。

or his greedy cardinals.

Urban named new cardinals to his court and entrenched himself in Rome

乌尔巴诺指定了新的红衣主教， 自己身居罗马，

while Clement and his supporters returned to Avignon.

而克莱孟和他的支持者 返回了阿维尼翁。

The schism had officially begun.

决裂正式开始了，

Western Christendom now had two capitals, Avignon and Rome,

西方基督教世界现在有两个首都： 阿维尼翁和罗马，

each with their own Pope and court of cardinals.

具有各自的教皇和红衣主教。

As popes from each line died, their cardinals appointed successors,

随着一方的教皇逝世， 那边的主教会指定新的继任者，

continuing the crisis for decades.

使危机持续数十年之久。

This strange situation didn't impact most ordinary Catholics,

这种奇特的局势并未影响 大多数普通天主教徒，

as there were no significant doctrinal splits.

因为并没有教义上的显著差异。

Instead, the drama played out in the diplomatic realm.

不过，分歧出现在外交领域。

European rulers were forced to choose sides,

欧洲统治者们被迫站队，

as both popes vied for spiritual and political supremacy.

因为两位教皇争夺着精神、政治的领导。

Only a pope had the authority to call a general council

只有教皇才有权召开大会，

to officially resolve the issue,

以彻底解决这个问题，

and both sides refused to take this step.

而双方皆拒绝走出这一步。

So in 1409, a group of cardinals from France and Rome

在 1409 年，一队来自 法国和罗马的红衣主教

took matters into their own hands.

亲自着手处理这个事情。

They claimed that since both popes were disputed,

他们声称，由于两位教皇都有争议，

cardinals did have the right to call a council.

红衣主教有权召开会议。

And at their gathering these cardinals deposed the pretenders

在此集会中，这些红衣主教 废除了仿冒者，

and elected a new Pope.

并选举出新的教皇。

Unfortunately, both Avignon’s Pope and Rome’s Pope

不幸的是，阿维尼翁和罗马的教皇

refused to recognize this council.

双双拒绝承认这次会议。

So instead of solving the crisis, the number of popes rose to three.

所以，不但问题未解决， 教皇的数目增加到了三个。

This unusual arrangement lasted five more years,

这个不寻常的情况又持续了五年，

until the Council of Constance in 1417.

直到 1417 年的康斯坦茨大公会议。

Here, the popes from the Roman line and recently created third line resigned

在此，罗马教皇和不久前 受选举的教皇卸任，

and agreed to unite the church under a new Pope—

同意教会团结在一位新教皇下——

Martin V.

玛尔定五世 (Martin V)。

Undisputed, Martin swiftly excommunicated the only person still against him—

毋庸置疑，玛尔定迅速将唯一 一个仍然反对他的人逐出教会——

the Pope of Avignon—

阿维尼翁的教皇——

and finally ended the schism after 39 years.

终于在 39 年后结束了分裂。

Today, the church’s official records say the Roman Line

今天，教会的官方记录说，

罗马线始终是真正的教皇权力。

was always the true papal power.

But regardless of how the schism ended,

但不论纷争如何收尾，

its existence proves that even those who are supposed to be pious

它的存在证明，即使是那些被认为是虔诚的人，

are prone to petty power struggles.

也很容易发生小规模的权力斗争。