Antipopes

[CyrilSebastian]

What was the point of having an Antipope?     
What was the role for that position?

[Benedict]

An anti Pope is someone who claims to be Pope but has not duly received the office of Bishop of Rome. The role is technically a schismatic Bishop claiming jurisdiction of the Church in opposition to the legitimately elected pope, by making a significant attempt to occupy the position of Bishop of Rome and leader of the Catholic Church.

[CyrilSebastian]

Laurentius was Archpriest of Santa Prassede and later antipope of the See of Rome.   
He was elected pope on November 22, 498 at the Basilica Saint Mariae with the support of a dissenting faction with Byzantine sympathies.
The faction was supported by Eastern Roman Emperor Anastasius I Dicorus, in opposition to Pope Symmachus.   
Laurentius' Pontificate was from November 22, 498 to August 5(6), 508.

[CyrilSebastian]

The Avignon Papacy was the period from 1309 to 1376 during which seven successive popes resided in Avignon rather than in Rome.

[CyrilSebastian]

Nicholas V was an antipope in Italy from May 12, 1328 to July 25, 1330 during the pontificate of Pope John XXII     
(1316-1334) at Avignon. Nicholas V was the last antipope set up by a Holy Roman Emperor.

[CyrilSebastian]

Each time an antipope came into existence, was the reason always the same?

[CyrilSebastian]

Antipope Felix II was a Roman archdeacon who was installed in 355 as an antipope and reigned until 365     
after Emperor Constantius banished the current pope, Liberius.

[CyrilSebastian]

Paschal I was a rival with Theodore for Pope following the demise of   
Pope Conon on September 21, 687. Prior to the disputed election, Paschal was an archdeacon.   
He was eventually confined to a monastery on charges of witchcraft.   
 
 

[CyrilSebastian]

John VIII was an antipope of the Roman Catholic church in the year 844.     
On the demise of Pope Gregory IV (January 25, 844), the populace of Rome declared John as his successor.   
They seized the Lateran Palace and enthroned him there.

[CyrilSebastian]

Honorius II, born Pietro Cadalo, was an antipope from 1061 to 1072.   
With the seat of German and Lombard bishops and notables opposed to the reform movement, on October 28, 1061   
King Henry IV appointed Bishop Cadalo as pope. The Bishop assumed the name of Honorius II.

[CyrilSebastian]

On the demise of Pope Sergius IV in June 1012, Gregory VI had himself made pope.   
Antipope Gregory VI's papacy began June 1012 and ended December 25, 1012.

[CyrilSebastian]

Antipope Eulalius was antipope from December 418 to April 419.   
Elected in a dual election with Pope Boniface I, he eventually lost out to Boniface and became bishop of Napete.