Conclave 1378

Urban VI.

Coat of arms of the Cardinal Chamberlain during the Sedis vacancy

The 1378 conclave was the electoral assembly of the cardinals after the death of Pope Gregory XI. and the final conclave , which elected a non-cardinal pope . It took place from April 7, 1378 to April 8, 1378. With a length of only one day, it is one of the shortest in papal history. His choice fell on the Archbishop Bartolomeo Prignano, who was Pope Urban VI. called.

history

Pope Gregory XI. died shortly after his return from Avignon to Rome , which is where this conclave took place. The College of Cardinals included to Konklavebeginn 16 members, of whom eleven were French, four Italians and a Spaniard.

Even before the actual beginning of the conclave, there was a certain pressure on the cardinals, as the population wanted a Roman or Italian as pope. Shortly after the beginning of the conclave, armed men broke into the palace, devastated it and once again demanded an Italian pope. It took three hours to remove the armed intruders. In order to avoid further incidents, the entrances to the palace were now walled up.

The college was split into three blocks, so that the choice of a compromise candidate had to be sought. It fell to the head of the Apostolic Chamber, who was generally known to the cardinals. While the Conclave Fathers were having their lunch, they had Prignano fetched.

When the population entered the palace again and asked for a Roman as pope, the frightened cardinals, who now recognized the danger of a revolting crowd, presented Cardinal Francesco Tebaldeschi as the new pope, because they were afraid to present the true elected.

However, Tebaldeschi's vehement refusal and the rumor mill soon spread the results of the actual election, which the population joined on the following day.

Attendees

Absent cardinals

swell

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