Pope Boniface IX

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Elected atRome, 2 November, 1389, as successor of the Roman Pope,Urban VI; d. there, 1 October, 1404. Piero (Perino, Pietro) Tomacelli came of an ancient but impoverished baronialfamily ofNaples. He lacked goodtheological training and skill in the conduct of curial business, but was by nature tactful and prudent. His firm character and mild manner did much to restore respect for thepapacy in the countries of his own obedience (Germany,England,Hungary,Poland, and the greater part ofItaly). TheAvignon Pope, Clement VII, had justcrowned (1 November, 1389) as King ofNaples the French prince, Louis of Anjou. Boniface took up the cause of the youthful Ladislaus, heir of Charles III ofNaples and Margaret ofDurazzo, had himcrowned King ofNaples atGaeta (29 May, 1390), and for the next decade aided him efficiently to expel the Angevin forces fromItaly. In the course of his reign Boniface extinguished the municipal independence ofRome and established the supremacy of thepope. He secured the final adhesion of the Romans (1398) by fortifying anew the Castle of Sant' Angelo, the bridges, and other points of vantage. He also took over the port ofOstia from itscardinal-bishop. In thePapal States Boniface gradually regained control of the chief strongholds and cities, and is thetrue founder of these States as they appear in the fifteenth century. Owing to the faithlessness andviolence of the Romans he resided frequently atPerugia,Assisi, and elsewhere.Clement VII, theAvignonpope, died 16 September, 1394. Boniface hadexcommunicated him shortly after his own election, and in turn had beenexcommunicated by Clement. In 1392 Boniface attempted, but in vain, to enter into closer relations with Clement for the re-establishment ofecclesiastical unity, whereupon Boniface reasserted with vigour his own legitimacy. Clement was succeeded atAvignon, 28 September, 1394, byCardinal Pedro de Luna, as Benedict XIII. Suffice it to say here that Boniface always claimed to be thetruepope, and at all times rejected the proposal to abdicate even when it was supported by the principal members of his own obedience, e.g. Richard II ofEngland (1396), the Diet ofFrankfort (1397), and King Wenceslaus ofGermany (Reims, 1398).

During the reign of Boniface two jubilees were celebrated atRome. The first took place in 1396, in compliance with an ordinance of his predecessorUrban VI, and was largely frequented fromGermany,Hungary,Poland,Bohemia, andEngland. Several cities ofGermany obtained the privileges of the jubilee, but the preaching of theindulgences gave rise to abuses and to impositions on the part of unaccredited agents of thepope, so that he wasobliged to proceed against them with severity. The jubilee of 1400 drew toRome great crowds ofpilgrims, particularly fromFrance. In spite of a disastrous plague Boniface remained at his post. In the latter part of 1399 bands of penitents, known as theBianchi, orAlbati (White Penitents), arose, especially in Provence andItaly. They went in procession from city to city, clad in white garments, with faces hooded, only the eyes being left uncovered, and wearing on their backs a red cross. For a while their penitential enthusiasm had some good results. After they had satisfied their spiritual ardour atRome, Boniface gradually discountenanced these wandering crowds, an easy prey of agitators and conspirators, and finally dissolved them. InEngland the anti-papal virulence ofWycliff increased the opposition of both Crown andclergy to the methods of Boniface in the granting of suchEnglishbenefices as fell vacant in theRoman Curia through the death or promotion of the incumbent. The Parliament confirmed and extended more than once thestatutes of Provisors and Præmunire, ofEdward III. Boniface protested vigorously, particularly in 1391, but in the end found himself unable to execute his grants without the king's consent and sanction. "Thus ended", saysLingard (ad. an. 1393), "this long and angry controversy entirely to the advantage of the Crown." Nevertheless, at the Synod ofLondon (1396), the English Church condemned the anti-papal teachings ofWyclif, and in 1398 theUniversity of Oxford, consulted by Richard II, issued in favour of Boniface an influential document, while in 1390 and again in 1393 the spiritual peers upheld the right of thepope toexcommunicate even those who obeyed thestatutes of Provisors. InGermany the electors had deposed at Rhense (20 August, 1400) the unworthy Wenceslaus, King of the Romans, and had chosen in his place Rupert, Duke ofBavaria and Rhenish Count Palatine. In 1403 Boniface abandoned his uncertain attitude towards both, approved the deposition of Wenceslaus as done bypapal authority, and recognized the election of Rupert. In 1398 and 1399 Boniface appealed toChristianEurope in favour of Emperor Emmanuel, threatened at Constantinople by Sultan Bajazet.St. Bridget of Sweden wascanonized by Boniface, 7 October, 1391. Theuniversities ofFerrara (1391) and Fermo (1398) owe him their origin, and that of Erfurt its confirmation (1392). In 1404Benedict XIII sent the last of his embassies to Boniface, who received the agents of Benedict 29 September, but the interview ended unfavourably. Thepope, highly irritated, took to his bed with an attack of gravel, and died after an illness of two days.

Contemporary and later chroniclers praise the political virtues of Boniface, also the purity of his life, and the grandeur of his spirit. Some, likeDietrich of Niem, charge him with an inordinate love of money, dishonest traffic inbenefices, the sale ofdispensations, etc. But Dietrich is no impartial writer and is blamed by Reynaldus for being bitter andunjust (acertus et iniquis). In his gossipy pages one misses a proper appreciation of the difficulties that surrounded Boniface—local sources of revenue lost in the long absence of thepapacy fromRome, foreign revenue diminished by theschism, extraordinary expenses for the restoration ofpapalRome and the reconquest of thePapal States, the constantwars necessitated by Frenchambition, the inheritance of the financial methods ofAvignon, and theobligation of conciliating supporters in and out ofItaly. Boniface sought nothing for himself and died poor. He is also charged with nepotism and he certainly provided generously for his mother, brothers, and nephews. It may be said, however, that in the semi-anarchic conditions of the time good government depended upon such personal support as a temporal ruler could gather and retain, i.e. could reward, while fidelity was best secured by close domestic ties. Boniface was the firstpope to introduce the form of revenue known asannates perpetuæ, or reservation of one-half the first year's fruits of everybenefice granted in the Roman Court, this in addition to other traditional expenses. It must be remembered that at this time thecardinals claimed a large part of these revenues, so that theCuria was perhaps more responsible than thepope for new financial methods destined in the next century to arouse bitter feelings againstRome, particularly inGermany.

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