Boniface IX
Pietro Tomacelli · 1389 – 1404
The Roman pope during the Western Schism, he strengthened papal finances and defended Rome against the Avignon claimants.
Pietro Tomacelli was a Neapolitan nobleman elected pope in 1389, during the Western Schism when rival popes ruled from Avignon. He spent his fifteen-year pontificate consolidating the Roman papacy's position, rebuilding the Castel Sant'Angelo, and developing the system of annates (fees paid for Church appointments). He celebrated two jubilee years. His financial practices drew criticism, but he successfully held Rome against the Avignon claimants.
Why He Matters
Boniface IX kept the Roman papacy functioning during one of the Church's worst institutional crises. His methods were not always admirable, but he held the line until the Schism could be resolved.