Amadeus was sympathetic to
conciliarism, the movement to have the
Church managed by
Ecumenical councils, and to prelates like
Cardinal Louis Aleman of Arles, who wanted to set limits upon the doctrine of
papal supremacy. He had close relations with the Council of Basel (1431–1449), even after most of its members joined the
Council of Florence, convened by
Pope Eugene IV in 1438. There is no evidence that he intrigued to obtain the papal office by sending the bishops of Savoy to Basel, though he did suggest that the bishops of Savoy attend the Council. Of the twelve bishops present, seven were Savoyards. In its Session XXXI, on 24 January 1438, the Council of Basel suspended Pope Eugene. Then, on 25 June 1439, it formally deposed Eugene as a
heretic. The president of the Council, Cardinal Louis Aleman, the
Archbishop of Arles, reminded the members that they needed to elect a rich and powerful pope to defend it from its adversaries.
Election Since Aleman was the only cardinal present, the Council decided to appoint a college of electors. consisting of thirty-three members, chosen from the five "nations" into which the council was divided. They entered into a
conclave on 31 October 1439. In the first scrutiny (ballot), Amadeus received 16 votes; in the second, 19 votes; in the third, 21. On 5 November, he received 26 votes, sufficient to be elected. The Council itself then issued a decree on 17 November 1439, stating that Amadeus had been elected pope and giving the full details of the election. A delegation, which included the secretary and notary
Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini, was sent to
Ripaille, the residence of Amadeus. It arrived on 15 December 1439, and, after long negotiations, Amadeus acquiesced in his election on 5 February 1440. The choice of the
papal name, Felix, was suggested by Cardinal Aleman. Felix took the inaugural oath formulated by the Council of Basel. At the same time, he completely renounced all further participation in the government of his domains; he named his son
Louis the
Duke of Savoy, and his son Philip the
Count of Geneva. He also appointed Piccolomini as his secretary.
Pope Felix V is credited with formalising the academic lectures held in Basel by establishing the "Alma universitas studii curiae Romanae" on 12 November 1440; it was inaugurated at a ceremony held on 5 November 1440. It would eventually lead to the foundation of the
University of Basel in 1460, by
Pope Pius II (Piccolomini) in the
bull "Inter Ceteras" of 12 November 1459. He departed
Basel for
Lausanne, on the grounds of ill health, on 19 November 1442, thereby diminishing the importance of the Council of Basel. Bishop François de Mez of
Geneva died on 7 March 1444, and on 9 March the chamberlain of
Anti-pope Felix V, Jean de Grolée, took possession of the diocese in the name of the antipope as administrator. On the same day, the antipope's son, Duke Louis of Savoy, ordered the episcopal chateau of Thie to be put under the control of the cathedral Chapter of Geneva. The death of the cardinal had been foreseen and was provided for. In 1446, Felix V named Bishop Bartholomew of Corneto as his Vicar in spiritualities and temporalities for the Diocese of Geneva; in 1449, he was succeeded by Bishop Andrea of Hebron. Cardinal Amadeus, as he had become in 1449, held the office of administrator until his death. On 20 July 1447, the
Frederick III, then
King of the Romans ordered the
Burgomeister of Basel to cancel the safe conducts which had previously been granted to the persons attending the Council of Basel, and to no longer allow the members of the council to remain in Basel. This was reinforced by an order in council of 24 May 1448, requiring the citizens of Basel, who had previously been reluctant, to expel them. The Council therefore moved its sessions to the city of
Lausanne, where they held their first meeting on 25 July 1448, presided over by Anti-Pope Felix V. His reputation is marred by the account of him as a pontiff concerned with money, to avoid disadvantaging his heirs, found in the
Commentaries of
Pius II. ,
Martial d'Auvergne, illumination from the
Vigilles de Charles VII (15th century) After the death of his opponent
Pope Eugene IV in 1447, both obediences in the schism of the church favoured a settlement. On 7 April 1449, at the second session of the Council of Lausanne, Felix V accepted the authority of
Pope Nicholas V and resigned his papacy. In its fourth session, on 19 April 1449, since the throne of Peter was vacant, the Council of Lausanne elected Nicholas V as its pope. In its fifth and last session, it recognised Amadeus VIII of Savoy to be
Bishop of Sabina and
papal legate in
Savoy, and assigned him second rank in the
Church after Pope Nicholas. It then
adjourned permanently. == Later life ==