Pope Gregory XII

Gregory XII resigned his papacy ten years into his tenure,he was elected as the catholic pontiff in the mist of the leadership crisis in the Church known as the great western schism.Three rival popes had been selected by separate factions of the Church and a group of bishops called the council of constance was trying to heal the schism.It took two years after Gregory XII'S departure to elect his successor Pope Martin V........He was the legal pope during the schism,he was unanimously elected by the cardinals in Rome,before his election all the cardinals swore that in order to end the schism he would abdicate if elected,provided his rival at Avignon pope Benedict XIII(anti pope) would do same......Gregory repeated his oat after his election and to all appearance had the intention to keep to it..........Benedict XIII was not willing to drop his claim to the throne,Gregory backed out with the help of his family......Gregory XII elevated five of his nephews to the position of cardinals after seven of his cardinals left Rome for Avignon to negotiate wish Benedict XIII'S cardinals,one of Gregory XII'S nephews later became pope Eugene IV......... His cardinals became disillusioned over his refusal to abdicate.Gregory XII resigned years later,some Vatican historians claim he was forced to abdicate ......... Catholic Encyclopedia, New York Times