The Papal
Schism of 1378-1409 divided Europe and had
a direct impact on the English Cistercians, for they were instructed
to break all contact with the abbot of Cîteaux,
who supported a rival pope and was therefore declared a schismatic
and pretender. This meant that
the abbots of England and Wales were not allowed to attend the General
Chapter in France, and were instead to hold their own independent
meetings in England to deal with organisational and disciplinary
matters. This heralded the
birth of the English chapter, which outlived the schism and became
part of the administrative fabric. Its existence enabled the abbots
of Fountains to play a more active role in the administration of
the Order; abbots John
Darnton and Marmaduke
Huby were particularly influential and frequently officiated
as commissioners. However, the existence of and independent chapter
and the breach with Cîteaux opened the way to a greater number of
abbatial disputes. These could be tedious, expensive and violent,
not to mention
damaging to the abbey and Order. Fountains was directly involved
in two such explosive dramas: one concerned the election to the
abbacy of its daughter-house of Meaux;
the other was a heated dispute over the abbacy of Fountains.(89)