a world council of the Catholic Church that lasted from 1414 to 1418 in the city of Constance, Germany.
The council was called by Pope John XXIII (under pressure from the Emperor Sigismund I and high church circles) to liquidate the Great Schism and reform the church. Besides the clergy, the council was attended by secular feudal lords, including the Emperor Sigismund. The council put an end to the schism—the three claimants to the papal throne were all ousted (Gregory XII abdicated and John XXIII and Benedict XIII were deposed), and a new pope, Martin V, was elected. The council proclaimed the necessity of convening church councils regularly and enunciated the principle of the supremacy of a council over the pope, but these decisions were not subsequently realized. The council condemned the teachings of J. Wycliffe and J. Hus. Although he had been given a charter of immunity by the Emperor Sigismund, Hus was burned in Constance on July 6, 1415. A year later, the same fate befell Hus’ associate, Jerome of Prague, who was condemned by the same council.