Antipope Alexander V

Peter of Candia, also known as Peter Phillarges (Greek: Πέτρος Φιλάργης) (c. 1339 – 3 May 1410), denominated Alexander V (Latin: Alexander PP.V; Italian: Alessandro V), was an antipope elected by the Council of Pisa during the Western Schism (1378–1417). He invalidly reigned briefly from 26 June 1409 to his death in 1410, in opposition to the true Roman Pope Gregory XII and the Avignon antipope Benedict XIII. In the 20th century, the Catholic Church reinterpreted the Western Schism by recognising the Roman Popes of the period as legitimate. The pontificate of Gregory XII was thus recognized to extend to 1415, and Alexander V was and is now recognized as an antipope.

Antipope Alexander V
Miniature of Alexander V in the Nuremberg Chronicle, 1493
Papacy began	26 June 1409
Papacy ended	3–4 May 1410
Predecessor	Gregory XII
Successor	Antipope John XXIII
Opposed to	Roman claimant: Gregory XII Avignon claimant: Benedict XIII
Personal details
Born	Petros Philargos c. 1339 Neapoli, Crete, Republic of Venice
Died	3–4 May 1410 (aged 70–71) Bologna, Papal States
Nationality	Greek
Denomination	Catholic
Coat of arms
Other popes and antipopes named Alexander

Life

Peter was born near modern Neapoli in Crete, then subject to the Republic of Venice, in 1339.^[1] Born into a Greek family, he was baptised Pietro Filargo, but is often known as Pietro di Candia and Peter Philarges.^[1] Italian Franciscans raised him after being orphaned in his youth.^[2]

Peter entered the Franciscan order, and his abilities were such that he was sent to study at the Universities of Oxford and Paris. While he was in Paris the Western Schism occurred. Peter supported Pope Urban VI (1378–89). He became an adviser to Giangaleazzo Visconti, the Duke of Milan, and for almost ten years, Peter was prime minister to Galeatus and his son.^[2] He returned to Lombardy, where, thanks to the favour of Giangaleazzo Visconti, Peter became bishop, first of Piacenza (1386), then of Vicenza (1387), then of Novara (1389), and finally Archbishop of Milan (1402).^[1] Pope Innocent VII (1404–1406) elevated him as cardinal in 1405.^[2]

Invalid Papal election

At the Council of Pisa (from 25 March 1409), the assembled cardinals invalidly elected Peter to the Supreme Pontificate, which they had declared vacant. Therefore, he was also invalidly coronated on 26 June 1409 as Alexander V, rendering him the third rival claimant to the Papal office. Following his election, most polities in Europe recognised him as the true Pope, except the Kingdoms of Aragon and Scotland, which remained loyal to the Avignon claimant, and some Italian states, which recognized the Roman Pope.^[3]

During his invalid reign of 10 months, Alexander's object was to extend obedience to him with the assistance of France and, notably, Duke Louis II of Anjou, upon whom he conferred the investiture of the Kingdom of Sicily, having deprived Ladislaus of Naples of it. He proclaimed and promised rather than effected many reforms: abandonment of the rights of "spoils" and "procurations", and the re-establishment of the system of canonical election in the cathedral churches and principal monasteries.^[4] He also generously granted Papal favours, from which the mendicant orders benefitted especially.

Alexander suddenly died while he was with Cardinal Baldassare Cossa in Bologna on the night of 3–4 May 1410. His remains were placed in the Church of St. Francis in Bologna. A rumour, though now considered false, spread that Cardinal Cossa, who succeeded him as Antipope John XXIII (1410–5), poisoned him.^[5]

Legacy

The Popes' drinking society at Greyfriars, University of Oxford, is traditionally held to have been founded by Peter during his time at the University. With the closure of Greyfriars in 2008, the society is now populated mainly by students of Regent's Park College, Oxford.^[6]

Previously, the Catholic Church considered the pontificate of Pope Gregory XII to have ended in 1409 with the election of Alexander V. In 1958, Pope St. John XXIII selected the regnal number XXIII, citing "twenty-two Johns of indisputable legitimacy."^[7] Because the previous "John XXIII" (r. 1410–5) had succeeded Alexander V, the Pisan line became illegitimate. The pontificate of Gregory XII was recognized to extend to 1415, and the Church now recognizes Alexander V as an antipope.^[8] However, Alexander V remains in the numerical sequence of the regnal name Alexander because Rodrigo Borgia had taken the name Alexander VI in 1492.

See also

• Papal selection before 1059
• Papal conclave (since 1274)