How did the Western Schism weaken papal authority during Jan Hus’s lifetime?

The Western Schism (1378–1417) significantly weakened papal authority by dividing the Roman Catholic Church between rival popes, creating a crisis of legitimacy that undermined the papacy's political and spiritual standing.12

During Jan Hus’s lifetime, this division escalated when the Council of Pisa attempted to resolve the conflict by electing a new pope, only to result in three simultaneous claimants to the papal throne. This instability fostered the rise of conciliarism, a doctrine asserting that a general council of the church held authority superior to that of the pope.132

The schism forced secular leaders, such as Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, to intervene to restore unity, further diminishing the papacy's independent power. Ultimately, the Council of Constance was required to depose the rival claimants and elect Martin V, effectively ending the schism but leaving the church vulnerable to the religious dissatisfaction that would later fuel the Reformation.432