Pope Innocent VII

Who was Pope Innocent VII?

Pope Innocent VII, born Cosimo de' Migliorati, was the head of the Catholic Church from 17 October 1404 to his death in 1406. He was Pope during the period of the Western Schism while there was a rival Pope, Antipope Benedict XIII, at Avignon.

Migliorati was born to a simple family of Sulmona in the Abruzzi. He distinguished himself by his learning in both civil and Canon Law, which he taught for a time at Perugia and Padua. His teacher Giovanni da Legnano sponsored him at Rome, where Pope Urban VI took him into the Curia, sent him for ten years as papal collector to England, made him Bishop of Bologna in 1386 at a time of strife in that city, and Archbishop of Ravenna in 1387.

Pope Boniface IX made him cardinal-priest of S. Croce in Gerusalemme and employed him as legate in several delicate and important missions. When Boniface IX died, there were present in Rome delegates from the rival Pope at Avignon, Benedict XIII. The Roman cardinals asked these delegates whether their master would abdicate if the cardinals refrained from holding an election. When they were bluntly told that Benedict XIII would never abdicate, the cardinals proceeded to an election. First, however, they all undertook a solemn oath to leave nothing undone, and, if need be, lay down the tiara to end the schism.