Conciliarism also drew on corporate theories of the church, which allowed the head to be restrained or judged by the members when his actions threatened the welfare of the whole ecclesial body.
Marsilius focused on the idea that the inequality of the priesthood has no divine basis and that Jesus, not the pope, is the only head of the Catholic Church.
His goal in these writings was removal of Pope John XXII, who had revoked a decree favoring ideas of the Spiritual Franciscans about Christ and the apostles owning nothing individually or in common.
Some of his arguments include that the election by the faithful, or their representatives, confers the position of pope and further limits the papal authority.
In response to the Western Schism of 1378, he advocated for calling an autonomous General Council to settle the issue.
They wanted to unify, defend and reform the institution under clerical control, not advance a Franciscan or a lay agenda.
According to Michael de la Bédoyère, "Pius II [...] [insisted] that the doctrine holding General Councils of the Church to be superior to the Pope was heretical.