Explore the fascinating tale of Baldassarre Cossa, the pirate who rose to become Pope John XXIII from 1410-1415. Discover how Cossa navigated the tumultuous period of the Western Schism (1378-1417), a time when the Catholic Church was divided by multiple popes each claiming supremacy. Learn how a man with a pirate's past seized power to lead the church and the historical implications of this chaotic era.