Sede Vacante 1409

June 5—June 26, 1409

Letter of Franciscus de Conzieu, Archbishop of Narbonne and S. R. E. Camerarius
to the Cardinals
(Villanova, January 4, 1409)


Edmundus Martene et Ursinus Durand, Veterum Scriptorum et Monumentorum Amplissima Collectio Tomus VII (Parisiis: apud Montalant 1733), columns 915-916:

Reverendissimis in Christo patribus et dominis meis, praecipuis dominis G(uy de Malsec) Penestrinensi, N(iccolo Brancaccio) Albanensi, Jo(hannes Allarmet de Brogny) Ostiensi, P(ierre Girard de Podio) Aniciensi, P(ierre) de Thureyo, A(madeo) de Salutiis, et P(ietro Stefaneschi) S. Angeli, S. R. E. cardinalibus.

Reverendissimi patres et domini mei praecipui, debita recommendatione praemissa. Per relationem domini Boqueranni decretorum doctoris legentis Avenione, et pro parte universitatis studii apud Perpinianum missi ad concilium, juxta mandatum apostolicum eis factum, qui Dominica proxime praeterita de dicto concilio rediit, percepi quod post proposita ea super quibus per ipsum concilium deliberari petabatur, de quibus paternitates vestrae reverendissimae per magistrum Johannem Guyardi informatae, ut teneo, ad plenum fuerunt, advisatum fuit post aliquas consultationes, quod pro faciliori agendorum expeditione eligerentur ex omni multitudine viri LX boni testimonii, quorum deliberationi staret totum concilium. Deinde quia difficulter illi convenire poterant, segniusque expedierent negotia plures, fuit numerus ipse ad XXX redactus; sed et iterum post aliquot dies etiam ipsi XXX fuerunt ad X dumtaxat restricti, videlicet reverendissimos patres dominos Tholosanum (Petrus Rabati) et de Chalanco cardinales, dominos patriarcham Antiochensem, archiepiscopos Caesaraugustensem et Tarraconensem, cancellarium regis Castillae,episcopos Valentiae, Mimatensem, et Condomensem, ac generalem fratrum Praedicatorum. Et isti omnes post sua multiplicia tenta consilia, et cum quibus voluerunt, collatione habita, remanserunt in his conclusionibus, videlicet quod contra regem et regales processus dudum facti non aggravarentur. Secundo, quod via cessionis pro pace ecclesiae alias acceptata et oblata executioni demandetur. Tertio, quod pro ipsa executione fienda, papa, si debitas et sufficientes securitates habere possit, Pisis se transferat. Quarto, quod non habitis dictis securitatibus, personas idoneas cum plena et irrevocabili potestate cedendi, alio cedente, illuc mittat. Et haec deliberatio de voluntate totius concilii debebat heri, quae fuit III. hujus mensis, dici et in scriptis dari papae omnibus praesentibus qui ad concilium mandati fuerunt. Haec eadem in effectu etiam mihi dixerunt die Lunae proxime praeterita dominus Johannes de Belloforti legum doctor, et Franciscus Ruffini, redeunted de perpiniano, cum bullis promotionis domini Johannis Bertrandi ad ecclesiam Gebennensem. An autem ita se res habeat ignoro: sed relata et a quibus significo. Cum autem alia supervenerint illico scribam paternitatibus vestris reverendis, quas conservare dignetur benedictus Filius Virginis feliciter in longaevum.

Scriptum in Vollanova die IV. Januarii.

Vester tutus Franciscus archiepiscopus Narbonensis Romanae ecclesiae camerarius.

 


Villanova is a town immediately across the Rhone from Avignon. It was a favorite papal residence.

Cardinals Guy de Malsec, Bishop of Palestrina; Pierre de Tureyo, Cardinal Priest of Santa Susanna; Cardinal Peietro Stefaneschi, Cardinal Deacon of S. Angelo in Pescheria; and Cardinal Antoine de Chalant, Cardinal Deacon of S. Maria in Via Lata, along with the Archbishops of Rouen [Johannes de Armaniaco], Toulouse [Petrus Rabati], Tarragona [Petrus Zagarriga]; and the General of the Dominicans [Ioannes de Podionucis], were the official delegates sent by Benedict XIII to negotiate with the cardinals of Gregory XII, who had withdrawn to Pisa beginning on May 11, 1408.

On June 29, 1408, however, these four cardinals, meeting at Livorno, made common cause with nine of Gregory's cardinals and issued a call for a Council to be held. Benedict's response was a "coup de Concile"—a general council of his own, held at Perpignan. The Council began under the protection of King Martin of Aragon (and the severe disapproval of King Charles of France) on November 15, 1408, with nine cardinals, four Patriarchs (three recently named), four archbishops, and thirty-three bishops—a meager showing, and in no sense "ecumenical' or "general". Benedict asked his council for its advice as to what he should do about the Schism. This was on December 5. Their recommendations were made known to the Archbishop of Narbonne in this letter, on January 4, 1409, but it was not until February 1, 1409, with only eighteen members still in attendance (two of them cardinals, Chalant and Toulouse), that they gave Benedict an answer: continue on with the "Way of Cession". They recommended that he go to Pisa. Benedict immediately rejected their counsel, threatening to put Cardinal de Chalant into prison. It was the end of his council.

Archbishop François de Conzieu [Conzié] arrived at the Council of Pisa on May 7, 1409, along with Archbishop Philippe de Thury of Lyon and Archbishop Jean de Nanton of Vienne [Mansi Sacrorum Conciliorum Volume 27, column 350]. On Conzieu's career: Samaran and Mollat, La fiscalité pontificale au XIV siècle (Paris 1905) 169; L. Celier, "Sur quelques opuscules du Camerlingue François de Conzié," Mélanges d' archéologie et d' histoire 26 (1906) 91-108.




Joannes Baptista Gattico,   Acta Selecta Caeremonialia Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae ex variis mss. codicibus et diariis saeculi xv. xvi. xvii.  Tomus I (Romae 1753), page 262:

De receptione Reginae Jotlandis Avenione, cum illuc transivit, breviter descripta:

Anno Domini 1412, die 7. Octobris Domna Jotlandes Ceciliae, volens ire in Franciam, recedendo de Taragone venit apud Avenionem, ubi tunc nullus Dominorum Cardinalium residebat, nec alius Praelatus nisi Episcopus Avenionensis, et Ego Archiepiscopus Narbonensis Camerarius Domini nostri Papae {François de Conzieu], et ejus in ipsa Civitate et Comitatu Venausini in temporalibus Vicarius. Eidem Reginae exivimus obviam, D. Marinus Tortella Capitaneus, Episcopus Avenionensi [Guy de Roussilon], ego, Viguerius, Syndici, et multi Nobiles et Burgenses Civitatis. Occurrimus eidem in porta Berbenannae. Erat in curru suo, ante eam praeibant sui milites seu scutiferi; D. Buciguaudus Marescallus Franciae, qui ipsam associabat, D. de Guisa ejus Filius Primogenitus eques. Et facta reverentia ipsi Reginae, ipsa stante in suo curru, et nos equites praecessimus et venimus sic ad portam Civitatis; et quia nox erat, Civitas misit sibi obviam usque ad Pittaccium Papae XXV. intortia.

Ipsa autem intrante Civitatem dictus marescallus et Ego ivimus immediate ante dictum Filium, qui immediate praecedebat currum Matris suae; et servatum fuit usque ad portam domus Castellani de Rota, in qua Ipsa et Filiae suae fuerunt logiatae. Ibidem autem ipse D. Marescallus descendit, et etiam D. Marinus. Ego autem remansi eques; et stando eques recepi licentiam ab ea stante in curru suo; et illa nocte coenavit ibi, et in crastinum pransa fuit. Syndici autem eadem nocte praesentaverunt duo vasa vini, intortia et candelas cerae multas, ac confecturas, ut moris est. Post prandium autem recessit ad Pontem Sorgiae; ivit per Civitatem in curru suo Filius suus. Nos vero alii ante Filium. Eam sequebantur duo magni currus onerati Dominabus et aliis Mulieribus. Ante Ecclesiam S. Lazari stando eques recepi ab ea, ejus filio et filiabus congedium; Dom. autem Capitaneus et Syndici longe eandem associaverunt.

 


Conzieu was named Rector of Avignon and of the Comtat Venaissin on January 2, 1411 by John XXIII: Denifle and Chatelain, Cartulaire de l' université de Paris IV, p. 202 no. 9913 n. He succeeded Cardinal Pierre de Thureyo. He died on December 31, 1431: Gallia Christiana VI, 100-101

 

 

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