Antipope -

Are you interested in a of the papacy, or Antipope | Definition, Examples, List, & Facts - Britannica

: Secular rulers often installed their own candidates to gain political leverage. antipope

: Confusion or illegalities during a papal election (conclave) could lead to multiple people claiming the seat. Modern Usage Are you interested in a of the papacy,

: Some fringe groups, such as "Benevacantists," claim current popes like Francis are invalid, effectively calling them antipopes based on disputes over papal resignations. : This was the most famous era for

: This was the most famous era for antipopes (1378–1417), during which the church was split between rival popes in Rome and Avignon, France. At one point, there were even three simultaneous claimants. Why They Arose Antipopes typically came to power for one of three reasons:

While the era of major antipopes ended in the 15th century, the term still appears in contemporary contexts:

: The term is also found in literature, such as Robert Rankin’s fantasy novel The Antipope .