1191 papal election facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Papal election1191 |
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| Dates and location | |
| 21 March 1191 Rome |
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| Key officials | |
| Protodeacon | Giacinto Bobone |
| Elected pope | |
| Giacinto Bobone Name taken: Celestine III |
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The 1191 papal election was a special meeting where cardinals chose a new Pope. This happened after Pope Clement III passed away in March 1191. The election took place while King Henry VI and his army were marching towards Rome.
The cardinals chose Cardinal Giacinto Bobone, who was 85 years old and a member of the Orsini family. He was a bit hesitant at first but accepted the role. He then became Pope Celestine III. The people of Rome wanted him to talk with King Henry about becoming emperor and about the city of Tusculum. Pope Celestine III delayed his own official crowning to give himself time to negotiate. He was finally crowned on Easter Sunday, April 14, 1191.
Contents
Why a New Pope Was Needed: Clement III's Death
King Henry VI of the Holy Roman Empire entered Italy in the winter of 1191. He was in Bologna by February 11, then Lucca by February 22, and Pisa by February 26. He sent messengers to Pope Clement III, the cardinals, and the Roman senators. He asked to be crowned emperor and promised to respect the laws and rights of the Roman people.
Henry wanted to march into southern Italy to claim the Kingdom of Sicily for his wife and himself. Since Sicily was a land held under the Pope, Henry needed the Pope's help. In March 1191, Henry and his army were in Tuscany. Pope Clement had sent two cardinals to negotiate with him. Before he died, Pope Clement had agreed that Henry VI would be crowned emperor in Rome at Easter.
However, the Roman leaders were not happy with Pope Clement's promises. He had promised to give them control of the city of Tusculum at the start of his time as Pope, but he hadn't done it yet. Pope Clement III's last known official document was signed on March 20, 1191. He passed away on that same day.
Who Were the Cardinals?
The old records don't clearly list all the cardinals who chose Cardinal Giacinto Bobone. We have to figure out who was likely there based on other documents. The list of cardinals who signed documents for Pope Clement III is much smaller than the total number of cardinals alive when he died.
New Cardinals Appointed by Pope Clement III
Pope Clement III (who was Pope from 1187 to 1191) had appointed many new cardinals, about 25 or 26 in total. Most of these new cardinals were from Italy, and 11 of them were from Rome itself.
Cardinals Likely Present at the Election
A document signed by Pope Clement III on February 17, 1191, about five weeks before he died, helps us guess who might have been at the election. Eighteen cardinals signed this document. These included important bishops and cardinals from different churches in Rome.
Some of the cardinals who likely attended were:
- Octavianus, Bishop of Ostia and Velletri.
- Joannes Anagninus, Bishop of Palestrina.
- Petrus, Bishop of Porto and Santa Rufina.
- Pandulfus, a cardinal priest.
- Petrus, a cardinal priest of Saint Peter in Chains.
- Johannes Felix, a cardinal priest.
- Rufinus, a cardinal priest and Bishop of Rimini.
- Romanus, a cardinal priest.
- Guido, a cardinal priest.
- Hugo, a cardinal priest.
- Johannes, a cardinal priest.
- Cinthius, a cardinal priest.
- Bernardus, a cardinal deacon.
- Gregorius, a cardinal deacon.
- Lotharius, a cardinal deacon.
- Nicholaus, a cardinal deacon.
- Gregorius, a cardinal deacon.
- Egidius, a cardinal deacon.
In addition, other cardinals like Albinus (Bishop of Albano), Jacintus (who became Pope Celestine III), Gerardus Allucingoli, Gratianus de Pisa, and Soffredus were likely present.
Cardinals Not Present at the Election
Some cardinals were not able to attend the election. This could be because they were far away on important missions or had other duties. For example:
- Konrad von Wittlesbach, who was a bishop and an archbishop in Germany.
- Guillaume aux Blanches Mains, who was an archbishop in France and an advisor to the French King.
- Rogerius, an archbishop in Italy.
- Adelardus Cattaneus, who was a papal representative in the Holy Land.
- Petrus Dianus, another cardinal who was a papal representative in Lombardy.
- Goffredus (Roffredo) de Insula, an abbot.
- Melior, a bishop.
The Election and Its Outcome
There was some disagreement among the cardinals during the election. They worried that their differences might cause a serious split. Because of this concern, the oldest cardinal deacon, Iacintus (Giacinto Bobone), finally agreed to become Pope.
The disagreement was likely about an agreement between King Henry VI and the late Pope Clement III. This agreement involved handing over the city of Tusculum to the Romans. This went against a long-standing policy of the Popes. Some historical writings mention both the disagreements and some tricky dealings among the Romans and the cardinals.
Cardinal Iacintus chose the name Celestine III as Pope.
When Pope Celestine III saw King Henry approaching Rome, he decided to delay his own official crowning. He did this to buy time and postpone King Henry's coronation as emperor.
After the election, and before King Henry could get close to Rome, the Roman leaders asked Pope Celestine III not to crown Henry as emperor. They wanted the Pope to first get King Henry to agree to hand over the city of Tusculum to them. Tusculum had been under the Pope's care, but the people of Tusculum had asked King Henry for his protection. The Romans strongly pushed the Pope to make this deal, saying it was the way to get Tusculum into Roman hands, as an earlier agreement had stated. Pope Celestine III agreed to their plan.
He immediately sent messengers to King Henry. These messengers firmly told the King that, based on the earlier agreement between the Pope and the Romans, Tusculum needed to be given to the Pope by the King.
On Holy Saturday, April 13, Pope Celestine III was going from the Lateran palace to St. Peter's Basilica for his crowning the next day. He met King Henry and Queen Constanza with their armed group. The Romans had closed the city gates and were guarding them heavily, keeping the imperial group from entering.
Celestine III (Giacinto Bobone) became a priest on Holy Saturday, April 13, 1191. He was then officially made a bishop and enthroned as Pope on Easter Sunday, April 14, 1191. Cardinal Octavianus de Poli, Bishop of Ostia, performed the ceremony.
Because of the agreement made between King Henry VI and Pope Celestine III, the city of Tusculum was attacked by the Romans. It was completely destroyed on April 17, 1191.
Images for kids
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Pope Celestine III, elected in 1191.
