Antoine de Challant, (about 1350 – 4 September 1418) was a Savoyard cleric who served as Chancellor of the Count of Savoy and was coopted into the papal curia by Pope Benedict XIII of the Avignon Obedience, who created him a cardinal and named him Archbishop of Moûtiers-Tarentaise. He served principally as a diplomat for the pope in negotiations directed toward the settling of the Great Western Schism, though his efforts had to be directed mostly to keeping Benedict from being repudiated by the French government. He himself finally abandoned Benedict and joined the cardinals who called for a general council of the Church. He participated in the Council of Pisa, and was one of the electors of Pope Alexander V. He also participated in the Council of Constance, and was one of the electors of Pope Martin V.
Biography
Antoine de Challant, whose family was one of the four great families of the Val d'Aosta, was the son of Aymon de Challant, the Lord of Fenis, Castellan of Lanzo, Moriana, Avigliana, Chambéry, Tarentaise, Susa, Montmélian, Ivrea, Bard, Sallanches and Castruzzone, Governor of Ivrea, and Bailiff of Val di Susa and Savoy. His mother was Fiorina Provana, of the Counts of Leyni. His elder brother Bonifacio became Lord of Fenis. His brother Guillaume was Bishop of Lausanne from 1406 to 1431.
Antoine was an Archdeacon of Reims from 1388 and Archdeacon of Chartres (1394), and at his death he was Prior of Chamonix and Megève (diocese of Geneva).
Challant was a Papal Chamberlain and Chancellor of Count Amadeo VIII of Savoy from 1402 to 1404. His patent of appointment to the chancellorship calls him legum doctorem et archidiaconum Remensem. He was succeeded by his brother Guillaume, Abbot of San Michele della Chiusa, on 30 June 1404. In 1411 Cardinal Antoine became Abbot Commendatory of S. Michele.
Cardinal of Benedict XIII
On 9 May 1404 Antoine de Challant was named a cardinal by Pope Benedict XIII, and assigned the Deanery of Santa Maria in Via Lata. On 1 June 1404 Pope Benedict XIII named Cardinal Chaillant Archbishop of Tarentaise, but since he was not consecrated a bishop, he could only serve as Apostolic Administrator. He served until his death.
Early in 1406 Challant was sent to Paris by Benedict XIII to defend his interests as calls for the subtraction of obedience to the Avignon pope grew, especially in the University. Challat was badly received, and the royal princes did not wish to recognize his status as papal Legate. He was not received at Court by King Charles VI until 29 April. His address received a reply from the orator of the University of Paris, Jean Petit, on 13 May, in which Benedict XIII was strongly attacked for his bad faith and tricks. The demand for subtraction of obedience was renewed in the strongest terms. The matter was referred to the Parlement, where, on 5 June the matter was presented again by Jean Petit, and seconded by the King's advocate, Jean Juvénal des Ursins. The matter was discussed until 14 July, when the Parlement decided against Benedict XIII and the University of Toulouse, and Cardinal de Challant was compelled to withdraw.
Revolt against Benedict XIII
He was present at the Council of Pisa, which was held from 25 March to 2 August 1409. He did not appear until the Sixteenth Session, on Monday 10 July 1409, having already been declared contumacious in the Fourth Session because he had not left the Obedience of Benedict XIII and obeyed the summons to attend the Council in Pisa. It was necessary to rehabilitate him, and therefore Cardinal Niccolò Brancaccio (Avignon Obedience), the Cardinal Bishop of Albano, spoke in his favor, claiming that Challant had stayed with Benedict only to attempt to persuade him to end the schism. Challant was allowed to take his seat with the other cardinals in the Council.
In 1411 Pope John XXIII intended to send Antoine de Challant to France as Papal Legate, with even more extensive powers than had been granted to Cardinal Pierre de Thury. The nomination was disapproved by the three royal princes, due (it is said) to Challant's défaut de naissance, son manque d'instruction, ses mauvaises moeurs ('his inadequate birth, his lack of instruction, his bad character'). Challant was later blamed by the French as one of those responsible for the invention of John XXIII's oppressive financial exaction scheme for France.
Challant was promoted to the rank of Cardinal priest of Santa Cecilia by John XXIII on 19 March 1412, and Cardinal Chamberlain.