An antipope is someone who claims to be the Pope but is not recognized by the Roman Catholic Church. They arise from religious factions or political entities. The last notable antipope was in 1400, and they are typically excommunicated by the Church.
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 are derivative from controversies on religious doctrine.
The first recorded and widely recognized antipope was Hippolytus, in the 3rd century AD. Eventually, Hippolytus was canonized by the Catholic Church as a saint, because he had been reconciled with the church before his death. The last antipope of note was Felix IV, in 1400, demonstrating the remarkable stability of the Roman Catholic Church after he was able to gain the upper hand in the papal schism of the early 1400s. A number of minor antipopes have since arisen, but usually in areas so isolated and with such small groups of followers that they are not considered important.
There are many ways someone can become an antipope. At various times in history, people have simply declared themselves popes, but typically such anti-popes get little public support or attention. More typically, an antipope arises as a result of a religious faction working in opposition to the Roman Catholic Church. During the papal schism, for example, rival groups in Avignon and Rome vied for control of the papacy, each electing its own pope.
Antipopes can also be elected by third organizations, as also happened in the papal schism, when an attempt was made to reconcile the problem and instead a third rival to the papacy arose. In some cases, antipopes have also been declared by political entities, such as kings, usually out of a desire to gain control of the church for political or social reasons.
Historically, when the Roman Catholic Church has received word from an antipope, it has often moved to excommunicate the antipope, along with his supporters. This severe punishment is designed both to punish the antipope and his faction and to serve as a warning to would-be dissenters in the church. Rome maintains control of the Catholic Church and wishes to make this clear to Catholics around the world; policy changes, decisions to modify the liturgy, and reforms of religious doctrine must originate in Rome, just as the Pope himself does.
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