The

Council A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or natio ...

at Basel decreed, in its 23rd session (26 March 1436) that anyone elected Pope should make, as a condition for his election to be valid, the "profession of the supreme pontiff", a formula declaring recognition of the Council as a "General Council" that it drew up specifically for that purpose. What the formula that each

cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...

, meeting in conclave, was called upon to swear, declaring: "I shall not make obeisance to anyone elected as pontiff before he takes the ''oath'' prescribed by this council of Basel", refers to as an oath must be this profession of faith. No Pope actually made the Council's profession of faith apart from the Pope that the Council itself created, Felix V, who is not included in the list of popes, but only in that of

Antipope An antipope ( la, antipapa) is a person who makes a significant and substantial attempt to occupy the position of Bishop of Rome and leader of the Catholic Church in opposition to the legitimately elected pope. At times between the 3rd and mid- ...

References

{{Reflist History of the papacy