Advisors to Antipope of Avignon
Papal Schism
In 1306, Pope Clement V moved the Papacy from its traditional place in Rome to a city, Avignon, in the South of France. This period, known as the Babylonian Captivity (not to be confused with the Babylonian Captivity of the Jews, which was far earlier), lasted until 1376, when Gregory XI moved back to Rome. However, when Gregory XI died in 1378, the College of Cardinals elected Urban VI, who was closer to parts of Italy and the Holy Roman Empire. This upset the French Cardinals, and after some discussion, they and their allies in Italy elected Clement VII, who moved to Avignon. Now, with the Western Church having two Popes, a political battle for influence in Europe is underway.
Europe itself is at a pivotal moment in history. Moving past the depths of the dark ages, and having just overcome the Black Death, it is poised to soon enter the Renaissance, as glimpses of new thought and art start to appear. At the same time, there are a few early reformers of the church who question Catholicism itself. And perhaps not without reason, as corruption, indulgence, and nepotism are plenty present within the Church’s hierarchy. Most nations of Europe are starting to centralize into state bureaucracies and stronger monarchies, a change for which organized religion is not yet fully prepared.
Thus, within Avignon there are a number of decisions to make, regarding how to best pursue alliances with other powers, deal with internal issues, approach resolving the schism, and grow the reach and power of the Catholic Church. The time is ripe for many changes across Europe. How will the actions of Avignon affect them?
Director's Letter
Dear Delegates:
It is my great honor to welcome you to Advisors to the (Anti)pope committee at Harvard National Model United Nations 2022.
My name is Alex Glynn, and I will serve as your director at HNMUN. Currently, I am a sophomore at Harvard College studying Applied Mathematics with a focus in Data Science. I was born, and lived most of my life, in South Orange, New Jersey, a suburb of New York City very close to Newark. I have always been interested in history and politics, though for half of my life in a mostly observational manner. That changed when due to the recommendation of a few friends in middle school I signed up for my first MUN conference. I instantly fell for how we were able to create policy, to come up with new solutions for a variety of problems, and then defend and debate them. Since then, I have participated in the high school and now college circuits, dealing with real world issues and fantastical scenarios. At Harvard, last year I staffed HMUN and HNMUN, and served as an Assistant Director for the Security Council. Additionally, I am a member of ICMUN, the Harvard MUN team, and helped to run MSC, Harvard’s internal Model UN conference.
In this committee, I am very excited to discuss the Western Schism and the Avignon Antipapacy in the late 14th century. Pope Clement VII sits in Avignon while Urban VI opposes him in Rome. Though in name a religious schism, the divide is intrinsically linked to the worldly concerns of state power, economic situation, and personal gain. The interplay between these factors led to a unique political situation in Europe, during a time where other pressures and changes began to rear their heads.
Along with Georgia Steigerwald, the committee’s Crisis Director and a phenomenal MUN delegate, we will work to bring a committee that respectfully examines the overlap between religious and secular authority and a number of the events that lead to Europe as we know it today. To do this, delegates will both work together to determine the policy of the Avignon Papacy while working to enact the agendas of their characters, positions, or countries. I am excited to see how all delegates balance these expectations and use the powers available to them. And I hope that delegates will leave with a greater appreciation of the ability of religious institutions to wield immense power, and how they influence the world and are influenced in turn.
I do want to note it is a primary goal of mine, shared with the entire staff, that this committee and all of HNMUN be welcoming to and a good experience for individuals of all backgrounds, identities, and beliefs. To that end, I want it to be clear that while Advisors to the Antipope will, by nature of the topic, include discussion and debate regarding historical and religious policies of the Catholic Church, the primary focus will be the political and economic affairs at the time, not specific doctrinal decisions. We deeply desire a committee in which anyone, regardless of religious association or previous knowledge, can feel welcome and can contribute. Additionally, we hope this will be rewarding for delegates of any experience level. Please feel free to reach out with any questions to either of these ends.
Alexander Glynn
Director, Advisors to the Antipope
Harvard National Model United Nations 2022
Crisis Director's Letter
Dear Delegates:
It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Antipope Advisors!
My name is Georgia Steigerwald, and I will be serving as your Crisis Director. I am currently a junior at Harvard College concentrating in Psychology with a secondary in Economics. I am from just outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. My involvement in Model UN began in high school and continued to grow when I joined Harvard’s Intercollegiate Model UN team. Since then, I’ve loved competing on the college circuit and finding an incredible community to spend my time with. Outside of HMUN, I have served as the Under-Secretary General for Committees at our HMUN India conference, am a Crisis Director for our high school MUN conference, HMUN, and am one of the Head Delegates for Harvard’s competitive Model UN team. I am also President of Harvard Model Congress Asia and serve as a senior staffer for Model Congress conferences in Europe, Dubai, and Boston. When I’m not doing MUN/Model Congress I am a research assistant in Harvard’s Moral Psychology Research Lab, Senior Content Editor for the Harvard College Economics Review, write for The Crimson’s Blog, and participate in a number of programs at the Institute of Politics. In my free time you can find me loading up on caffeine, playing with cats, and catching up on sleep.
Before we go any further, I’d like to acknowledge the incredible work of Alex Glynn on this background guide! I’ve been extremely excited for this committee ever since Alex first brought up the idea for it. Alex and I can’t wait to see the chaotic spins you all put on this contentious time in history.
As far as my expectations for committee go, I prefer to run a very delegate-driven backroom incorporating as many theatrical crisis breaks as possible. I encourage you to base your arcs on factual events, but feel free to get creative (just keep everything within the realm of possibility). I appreciate notes that are in-character, clear, and that lay out a clear goal and set of steps to accomplish that goal.
Above all, please don’t stress out! All of us have had times when we give speeches that don’t go as well as we hope, sessions when our arcs don’t break, or conferences where we don’t accomplish what we want to. But it’s through these experiences that we grow and become better delegates. Please don’t hesitate to reach out for feedback or help, both before and during the committee.
Welcome to HNMUN 2022!
Sincerely,
Georgia Steigerwald
Assistant Director, Advisors to the Antipope
Harvard National Model United Nations 2022