Abstract

The Catholic Church in the medieval period should not be seen as a monolith. While many maintain the views of a centralized papal monarchy, the reality was much different. In the fifteen century, while reacting to the Great Schism (1378-1417), a group of Christians looked to the early Church and canon law for precedents which allowed general councils to depose ruling pontiffs. These individuals, known as Conciliarists, sought to reform Western ecclesiology by limiting the role of the pope. They did not seek to overthrow papal authority; instead they attempted to curb papal control over Christendom. The pope was to govern within the limitations of doctrine defined by councils. General councils were to hold the role akin to a parliament. Such hopes were lost, however, when the monarchs who originally supported the councils, began to fear chaos the nascent democratic movement produced. Papal authority did win out, through the signing of Concordats, but the call for reform to the Church hierarchy shows a glimmer of hope in a period generally perceived by many as dark.