Little is known of Pietro Tomacelli’s early life. He was born into a poor family, but one that was nevertheless of the ancient Neapolitan nobility (Naples, not ice cream). He apparently had little theological training, and his experience in administration was paltry in comparison to his predecessors. However, his redeeming qualities were a strong character, prudence, and the ever-so-important tact that was lacking in Pope Urban VI.

When Urban VI died, the cardinals in Rome pondered whether to hold an election or hand the Church over to the Avignon claimant, Antipope Clement VII. As if to say, “Did you even need to ask?” the cardinals quickly elected a new pope, Boniface IX, in November of 1389. Though he himself sought no monetary gain and died poor, Boniface set to work righting the ship of Church finances, first and foremost.

Papal absence from Rome, restoring many parts of the Eternal City once the pope returned, the Western Schism (in which many kingdoms abandoned the true pope), and other miscellaneous costs had severely strained the Church’s resources. As a creative way to increase funds, Boniface dispensed pilgrims from traveling to Rome during the Jubilee Year of 1400 if they instead donated to the Church an equivalent amount to travel expenses. Claims that he was guilty of simony, though Boniface wasn’t entirely without fault, typically don’t account for the desperate times in which Boniface ruled. Pope Boniface IX was a month shy of fifteen years in office when he died in 1404, at the young age of 48.

Pope Boniface IX is best known for restoring some respect for the papacy after the disastrous reign of Urban VI. He was able to reconcile some crucial relationships, though the situation in Rome and Europe at large remained touchy. He was also able to re-establish superiority over the Papal States, giving them the framework that became well known over the next century and beyond, and ended Rome’s municipal independence to boot. Boniface was in constant opposition to the thought of resigning his post, which many theologians and monarchs (who were on his side, no less) advised, as a way to end the Western Schism.

Fun Fact: It was Boniface IX who canonized the great St. Bridget of Sweden -- a wife, mother of eight, religious order foundress, advisor to the pope, and eventual patroness of Europe -- in a ceremony on October 7, 1391.

At Avignon in 1394, Antipope Clement VII died suddenly, leaving his (make-believe) seat vacant. The cardinals there, wishing to continue their charade, chose Spanish cardinal Pedro de Luna to take Clement’s place. De Luna would unfortunately be on the scene as Antipope Benedict XIII until 1417.