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Most people think that to become Pope you need to become cardinal first, but that actually any baptised man can be elected. And many non-cardinal were elected until 1378, when Bartolomeo Prignano, a respected Italian bishop but not a cardinal, was elected as Pope. His reign as Urban VI began with hope and compromise, but quickly unraveled into rage and rebellion, igniting what history remembers as the Western Schism.

At the time, the Church was already fractured in spirit. For nearly 70 years, the papacy had been exiled in Avignon, France, under the influence of French kings. When Pope Gregory XI finally returned to Rome in 1377, tensions flared between factions loyal to Avignon and those demanding a return to Italian roots. After Gregory’s death, Roman mobs demanded an Italian pope—“Or we will kill you all!” they reportedly shouted at the cardinals. Under pressure, the mostly French College of Cardinals chose Prignano, Archbishop of Bari, hoping his Italian birth and Avignon ties would keep the peace.

At first, it seemed a clever compromise. Urban VI was seen as neutral, scholarly, and pious. But once crowned, his demeanor shifted drastically. He lashed out at cardinals, insulted them publicly, and dismissed moderation. Within months, thirteen cardinals declared his election invalid, claiming they had been coerced. They fled to Avignon and elected a rival pope, Clement VII. Now two popes reigned, each claiming legitimacy, each excommunicating the other. Europe split: France, Spain, and Scotland backed Avignon; England, the Holy Roman Empire, and most of Italy stayed with Rome.

This double papacy launched the Western Schism (1378–1417), an era of deep confusion and political maneuvering. For nearly four decades, popes and antipopes coexisted, draining Church authority and shaking the faithful. Eventually, the Council of Constance deposed or accepted the resignation of all claimants and elected a new pope, Martin V, finally restoring unity—but the damage had been done. Urban VI’s election marked the last time a non-cardinal would be chosen as pope.

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