The Great Schism didn't occur suddenly, there were many events leading up to the degradation of the Church. Its roots can be traced back to the confrontation of two powerful and determined figures: King Philip IV of France, and Pope Boniface VIII.

Philip IV was a greedy leader who showed no respect towards traditions or rights. He was proud and arrogant and believed the king was almighty, not the church. The church owned vast amounts of land in France, but the majority of the taxes from them were going to Rome instead of Philip. Not only that, the Church claimed immunity from royal law for the clergy. Also s

Due to all these dilemmas, Clemont was not able to travel to Rome that year. The majority of the cardinals had moved back to France since the political climate in Italy had become very hostile towards the French. The Italians were maddened by the fact that they lost income related to papal residency. The other things disliked were that a foreign leader was dealing with Italian politics.

Pope Benedict XIII, of the Avignon line, held out until 1417 when he was forced to abdicate. After his resignation, Benedict refused to acknowledge the council and returned to his castle of Peniscola. Up until his death in 1422, Benedict held out that he was the one true pope.

There had been talk of a general council that would represent the church and choose a pope, but it was not taken well. It had been taught to the people that the pope was supreme and could be questioned by no one. But as time dragged on, it was clear something needed to be done and the urgency for a general council increased.

Urban V was the first pope to return to Rome. Although due to dangerous conditions, he only remained for 3 years. A mere four years later, the new pope, Gregory XI, attempted to live in Rome. It was far too dangerous and he stayed less than a year. In an ironic twist, the Gregory died the night before he was to leave for Avignon. Although the majority of the papacy was located in Avignon, the pope had died in Rome. According to the law, that was where the next election was to take place.

With Benedict's abdication, the council could finally elect a new Pontiff. The choice was a Roman cardinal who took the name Martin V. He was an honest pope, and not only rebuilt the papacy in Rome, but he rebuilt the church's reputation. His election ended the long lasting schism, and with that the council dispersed in 1418.

As time passed, it became increasingly difficult for Clemont to make a trip back to Rome. The city was becoming an additionally dangerous place without the rule of the pope. Yet, Clemont could not return to Italy, for it was still too dangerous of a political climate. Nor could he stay in France, it gave the appearance to the Italians that the French king was playing the pope as a puppet. As a result Clemont resided with some of his papacy in Avignon, a city in the imperial territory of southern France. More and more of the clerks and administrators moved to Avignon, and Clemont stayed there until he died. By now, most of the curia was resident in the city and so it was there they elected another Frenchman who also spent his entire pontificate in Avignon. Conditions in Italy were just too chaotic and for the pope to move back, safety would have to be assured, and it could not.

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2010
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)