AN'TIPOPE was a pontiff elected in opposition to one canonically chosen. The first antipope is reputed to be Laurentius, elected 398, in opposition to Symmachus. Several emperors of Germany set up popes against those whom the Romans had elected without consulting them. Otho the great displaced successively two bishops of Rome; and when Sylvester,III. had expelled the simoniacal and profligate pope Benedict IX., Conrad II., king of Germany, brought back this worthless pastor, who hastened to sell his dignity to Gregory VI. There were now, consequently,, three popes, and their number was increased to four by the election of Clement II. in 1046. Shortly after, Alexander II. found a rival in Honorius IL ; and in 1080 the same unseemly spectacle was witnessed, when Henry IV., emperor of Germany, elevated to the papal chair Guibert of Ravenna, under the title of Clement III., in opposition to his implacable adversary, Gregory VII. But after the death of Gregory, Clement was himself opposed successively by V ictor III. and Urban II., and at last died at a distance from Rome, having just beheld the exalta tion of Pascal II., as the successor of Urban. During the 12th c., several antipopes flour ished, such as Gregory VIII. and Honorius HI. Ou the death of the latter, France began to intermeddle in these disgraceful strifes, and upheld the cause of Innocent II. against Anaclet; while the kings of Sicily, on the other hand, more than once set up a pontiff of their own arrainst the choice of the emperors. Between 1159 and 1378, there were four antipopes; but the most remarkable epoch is "the great schism of the west," produced by these disedifving rivalries in 1378—a schism which divided the church for 50 years. It broke out after • the death of Gregory XI., at the election of Urban VI.,
whom the voice of the Roman people, demanding an Italian pope, and not one who should fix his pontificate, like several of his predecessors at a distance from Rome, had elevated to the papal throne. The French cardinals objected, withdrew to Provence, and elected a new pope, under the name of Clement VII., who was recognized by France, Spain, Savoy, and Scotland; whilst Italy, Germany, England, and the whole north of Europe, supported Urban VI. These two popes excommunicated each other; nor did they eves fear to compromise their sacred character by the most, cruel outrages and the most odious insults. The schism continued after their death, when three popes were elected by dif ferent parties, ali of whom were deposed by the council of Constance, in 1415, and car dinal Colonua elected in their room, under the title of Martin V. The last antipope was Clement VIII. With him the schism ceased. These divisions are often alleged as an argument against the doctrine of papal infallibility; but Catholics consistently affirm that the privilege of infallibility is only claimed in matters of doctrine, and has no rela tion to questions of fact, such as disputed succession, or canonicity of election. See POPE.