Plenitudo potestatis or consensus? Boniface VIII and the question of the Hungarian throne

Abstract

Since 1290, the Angevins of Naples had constantly emphasised their claim to the throne of Hungary, and the Apostolic See was a strong support in the possible realisation of this ambition. The Papacy made it clear that it had the exclusive right to appoint the person of the Hungarian ruler. In this crisis, however, as early as 1290, and after the extinction of the House of Árpád (1301), a clear claim to the Hungarian throne by election was clearly expressed. The paper shows how Boniface VIII dealt with this issue, how these powerful legal ideas clashed, and to what extent the Pope sought or avoided a consensus-based resolution of the conflict.