Pope Boniface IX

Born Pietro Tomacelli in Naples, Boniface IX was the second Roman-line pope of the Western Schism, reigning while rival popes held Avignon. Politically shrewd, he stabilized the Papal States and restored effective papal control over Rome and its administration after decades of turmoil. To fund this he relied heavily on the sale of benefices, indulgences, and dispensations, drawing lasting criticism for fiscal abuses. He held two Jubilees and largely defeated efforts to end the schism through compromise, refusing to abdicate. A capable territorial ruler and manager rather than a spiritual reformer, he kept the Roman obedience intact but did nothing to heal the broader division.