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 On March 5, 1409, the College of Cardinals called the Council of Pisa to end the Babylonian Captivity and Great Schism, which had divided Western Christendom for over seventy years.
The Babylonian Captivity preceded the Great Schism. It was a period of approximately seventy years (1305-1377) when the pope ruled from Avignon in southern France. Italian patriots called it the Babylonian Captivity because they likened this period when the popes were completely dominated by the French king to the seventy years when the Hebrews were captive in Babylonia.
During this period, all the popes were French and the papacy became a French institution to do the bidding of the French King.
Many of the popes of the Babylonian Captivity led wicked lives, maintaining a luxurious and expensive court. The city of Rome greatly resented the stay of the popes at Avignon, and finally, in 1377, the papal court returned to its own city.
One year later, Gregory XI died and the people of Rome compelled the cardinals to elect an Italian, Urban VI. However, he did not get on with his cardinals who were mostly French, and they soon disowned him, elected a new pope, and moved to Avignon.
There were now two popes, one at Rome and one at Avignon. This is known in history as the Great Schism. The princes of Europe lined up behind the pope of their choice, and Christendom was split. The awe, which for centuries had surrounded the Pope, began to diminish and the Papacy fell in popular opinion.
In 1409 a council was held in Pisa to heal the Schism. The Council deposed both popes, and elected a new one. However, neither of the popes would give up his office, and thus there were now three popes! Under these confusing circumstances, none of the three was fully recognized as pope.
At last in 1417, the Council of Constance elected an Italian cardinal as Pope Martin V. The other three popes, weary of the troublesome state of affairs, gave Martin their support, and so the Roman Church once more had one head.
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