Antipopes in fiction

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Antipopes have appeared as fictional characters. These may be either in historical fiction, as fictional portraits of well-known historical antipopes; or in the guise of imaginary antipopes.

Two antipopes appear in novels of Jean Raspail — L'Anneau du pêcheur (The Fisherman's Ring) — and Gérard Bavoux — Le Porteur de lumière (The Light-bringer). From two rather different perspectives these recount the fictional history of a parallel hierarchy, by which in secret French cardinals nominated the true Pope. As it is told, the antipope Benedict XV, Pierre Tifane, was recognised as pope in Avignon from 1437 to 1470. His successor, the antipope Benedict XVI (not to be confused with the validly-elected 21st century Pope Benedict XVI), Jean Langlade, reigned there from 1470 to 1499.

These books build on claims that Jean Carrier, the second antipope Benedict XIV, nominated cardinals who were to continue this antipapal line, in the Great Schism. In the absence of credible historical sources it is safer to conclude that these two antipopes and putative successors are imaginary antipopes.

The first part of comic fantasy author Robert Rankin's The Brentford Trilogy is called The Antipope, and features the resurrected Pope Alexander VI, the last Borgia pope.

A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller makes repeated reference to an Antipope Vissarion, leader of the Vissarionist Schism of ca. 3000 AD. Several popes in the sequel, the post-apocalyptical novel Saint Leibowitz and the Wild Horse Woman are called antipopes during or after their papacies.

The fictional synth-pop artist Zladko Vladcik claims to be The Anti-Pope in one of his songs.

In the Dave Hepler Saga, Parts I, II, and III, General Vincent is the Pope of the Roman Empire. Since he was not elected as the Pope, coming to power by means of overthrowing the actual pope, some consider him to be an antipope. Because has no opposition, most just see Vincent I as the actual Pope of the Roman Empire and the Catholic Church.

In Endymion and Rise of Endymion by Dan Simmons, Father Paul Duré is the routinely murdered antipope Teilhard I.

[edit] References

Jean Raspail, L'Anneau du pêcheur, Paris : Albin Michel, 1994. 403 p. ISBN 2-226-07590-9,
Gérard Bavoux, Le Porteur de lumière, Paris : Pygmalion, 1996. 329 p. ISBN 2-85704-488-7,