Antipope Anacletus II facts for kids

Anacletus II (born Pietro Pierleoni) was a person who claimed to be the Pope but was not recognized by the main Church. He was an antipope from 1130 until he died on January 25, 1138. He was in opposition to Pope Innocent II.

After Pope Honorius II died, the group of important Church leaders called cardinals disagreed about who should be the next Pope. A small group of eight cardinals quickly chose a man named Papareschi, who became Pope Innocent II. But a larger group of cardinals then chose Pietro Pierleoni, who became Anacletus II. This led to a big split, or schism, in the Church.

Anacletus had the support of most people in Rome, including a powerful family called the Frangipani family. Because of this, Innocent II had to leave Rome and go to France. North of the Alps mountains, Innocent gained strong support from important religious groups and leaders. These included Bernard of Clairvaux and Peter the Venerable. He also got help from Norbert of Xanten and the German Emperor Lothar III.

Without much support outside Rome, Anacletus's position became weak. He died in 1138, and the big Church split was not fully over yet. In 1139, a major meeting called the Second Council of the Lateran finally helped to end the disagreement.

Who Was Anacletus II?

Pietro Pierleoni was born into the powerful Pierleoni family in Rome. His father, Pier Leoni, was an important leader. Pietro was the second son and wanted to work for the Church. He studied in Paris and later joined a Benedictine monastery called the Abbey of Cluny. After his studies, he returned to Rome and held several important jobs in the Church.

How Anacletus Became an Antipope

In 1130, when Pope Honorius II was dying, the cardinals decided that only eight of them would choose the next Pope. This small group, led by a man named Haimeric, quickly chose Cardinal Gregory Papareschi. He was made Pope Innocent II on February 14, the day after Honorius died.

However, on the very same day, most of the other cardinals met. They said that Innocent had not been chosen correctly. They chose Cardinal Pietro Pierleoni instead. Pietro was a Roman, and his family was against Haimeric's supporters, the Frangipani. Anacletus was supported by almost all the important families in Rome, except the Frangipani. He also had the support of most cardinals and the people of Rome. With this strong support, the Pierleoni family took control of Rome. Innocent II was then forced to leave the city and go north of the Alps.

The Big Church Split

North of the Alps, Innocent II gained very important support. St. Bernard of Clairvaux and Peter the Venerable were famous religious leaders who helped him. They convinced European rulers, like Emperor Lothar III, to recognize Innocent as the true Pope. This left Anacletus with very few powerful friends.

Anacletus was actually a good choice for Pope and was well-respected. However, because of the conflict, rumors were spread to make him look bad. Some people who supported Anacletus included Duke William X of Aquitaine and the powerful Roger II of Sicily. Anacletus had officially approved Roger's title of "King of Sicily" with an official Church letter.

By 1135, Anacletus's power was fading. The big split in the Church only ended when he died in 1138. After his death, another antipope, Victor IV, was chosen. But he quickly gave up his claim to Innocent II within a month. Innocent then returned to Rome and ruled without anyone opposing him. In 1139, Innocent II held the Second Lateran Council. This meeting helped to strengthen the Church's rules.

Even though most of the Pierleoni family accepted Innocent and the Popes after him, Anacletus's brother, Giordano Pierleoni, continued to oppose the Popes for several years.

See Also

In Spanish: Anacleto II (antipapa) para niños

• Papal selection before 1059
• Papal conclave (since 1274)