What is an Antipope?
An antipope is a person who claims the Pontificate without being canonically and properly elected to it. The existence of an antipope is usually due either to doctrinal controversy within the Church, or to confusion as to who is the legitimate Pope at the time. From http://en.wikipedia.
An antipope is someone who claims to be the Pope, but is not recognized as a validly elected pope by the Roman Catholic Church. The only official Pope is the one elected and ratified in Rome by a council of cardinals upon the death of the last Pope. Antipopes reflect arguments and schisms within the church, some of which have historically been political in nature, while others have stemmed from disputes over religious doctrine. The first recorded and widely recognized antipope was Hippolytus, in the third century CE. Ultimately, Hippolytus was canonized by the Catholic Church as a saint, because he reconciled with the church before his death. The last notable antipope was Felix IV, in the 1400s, illustrating the remarkable stability of the Roman Catholic Church after it managed to gain the upper hand in the Papal Schism of the early 1400s. A number of lesser antipopes have cropped up since this time, but usually in such isolated areas and with such small groups of followers that they h
Wendy Reardon: An antipope is a guy that claimed the See of Peter when there was already a pope. As if someone decided they were going to be President too and a group of people elected him, even tho we already had a president. There were 39 antipopes altogether. _______________________ Brooklyn, N.Y.: What the heck is an anti-pope? You’ve used the term two times now. Please enlighten this lapsed-Catholic. Is there an anti-pope now or is this a historical deal? Wendy Reardon: An antipope is a guy who thinks he’s pope when there is already a pope (and the roman mob did NOT take kindly to them back in the day). There have been antipopes since the fourth century, here and there. _______________________ Waycross, Ga.: When he is beatified is that the same as deciding he is a saint? Wendy Reardon: Beatification is the first step to sainthood. It will take some time, a few years even, for them to beatify JPII, if they are indeed going to do that. _______________________ Charlotte, N.C.: I hav
