PISA, COUNCIL or, one of the councils commonly reputed by Roman Catholics as ecumenical or general, although some, especially of the ultramontane (q.v.) school do not look upon it as such. It vats assembled in the time of the great western sehisin, for the purpose of restoring the peace of the church, and the unity which had been interrupted by the rival claims of two competitors for the papacy. The history of this rival claim will be found under the bead SCHISM, WESTERN. For our present purpose, it is enough to state that the adherents of -both the claimants of the see of Rome—those of Gregory XII., as well as those of Benedict—agreed on the necessity of a general council, as the only means of putting an end to the schism; and the rival popes having themselves either evaded or declined the demand, the cardinals of both united in issuing letters of convocation, and in summoning both the claimants to the council so convened. Neither of them complied with the citation; but the council pro ceeded. nevertheless, to examine and deliberate upon the cause. It was opened at Pisa, Mar. 25, 1409, there being present 22 cardinals, 4 patriarchs, 12 archbishops, 80 bishops, together with representatives of 12 archbishops and 102 bishops, and a vast body of abbots, doctors in theology, and other eminent ecclesiastics. Of the proceedings, it will be enough to say, that after a formal citation of the rival popes to appear within a stated period, the council, on the expiration of that period, proceeded to declare them contumacious, and to examine their respective claims as though they had appeared. The result, after a protracted inquiry, was a decree in the 18th session by which they were both declared schismatics, and their conduct heretical, and calculated to lead the people from the faith; wherefore, since they had violated the solemn engagements made at their respective elections, they were deposed from the papal dignity, and their follow ers released from obedience. In the 17th session, the cardinals having first pledged
themselves by oath, each, that, if elected, he would continue the sittings of the council, entered into conclave to the number of 24, and unanimously elected Peter Philargi, one of the cardinal priests, and a member of the Franciscan order. lie took the of Alexander V. The council proceeded after his election to pass a of decrees, for the purpose of giving validity to the acts done on either side during the schism. A vain attempt was made to obtain the submission of the, still recusant rivals, and it was resolved that a new mina should be held within three years. The auttority of this council, like that of the council of Constance, is alleged, on the Call:ean side, as mm the superiority of a general council over the pope. But the ultcontanes reply that these councils, and also that of Basel, mt st be regardtd as abnormal assemblies, called to meet the special emergency of a disputed succession anti of a doubtful pope, and that these principles cannot by any means he applied to the ordi nary circumstances of the church, or form a precedent by which to estimate the normal telations between a pope whose title is certain and undisputed. and a general council regularly assembled at a time of peace, and in the ordinary circumstances of the church. It cannot be doubted, nevertheless, that the spirit of the fathers of Pisa was the same which ran through the succeeding assemblies of Constance and Basel, and found its permanent representation in the succeeding (Sec GALLICAN Citimen) of later cen turies