Gregory negotiated meetings and abdication agreements with Benedict, but his rival never followed through on them.
The endless negotiations, while simultaneously taking care of daily business, caused Gregory to re-think his vow to abdicate.
The cardinals, seeing that Gregory might not step down as he had promised, began to turn against him.
Gregory ordered them sequestered in Lucca, and created four new cardinals of his nephews.
Seven of the cardinals fled Lucca, joined with some of Benedict's cardinals, and called a general council at Pisa in March 1409.
Neither Gregory nor Benedict attended, and on 5 June1409 the cardinals deposed them both as schismatics; they elected Alexander V on 26 June1409.
Gregory created ten more cardinals, convened them at Cividale del Friuli, and declared Benedict and Alexander to be schismatics.
The matter was finally settled on 4 July1415 at the Council of Constance when Gregory abdicated.
He was appointed cardinal-bishop of Porto and papallegate to Ancona, and lived his remaining two years quietly, administering his see and praying for healing in the Church having been the last pope of the Western Schism.
![[Pope Gregory XII]](pope0205.jpg "??kb jpg illustration of Pope Gregory XII, date unknown, artist unknown; swiped off the Wikipedia web site; please do not write to ask about the image")
