1130 papal election facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Papal election1130 |
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| Dates and location | |
| 14 February 1130 monastery of S. Gregorio, Rome |
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| Key officials | |
| Dean | Pietro Senex |
| Elected pope | |
| Gregorio Papareschi Name taken: Innocent II |
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The 1130 papal election happened on February 14. It took place after Pope Honorius II passed away. This election was unusual because it resulted in two different popes being chosen at the same time!
One group of cardinals, led by Cardinal-Chancellor Aymeric de la Chatre, elected Gregorio Papareschi. He became Pope Innocent II. However, another group of cardinals did not agree with this choice. They elected Cardinal Pietro Pierleoni, who took the name Anacletus II. Even though Anacletus had more cardinals supporting him at first, the Catholic Church officially recognizes Innocent II as the true Pope. Anacletus II is known as an Antipope, meaning he was a rival claimant to the papacy.
This double election happened because of growing disagreements among the cardinals. They had different ideas about how the Holy See (the Pope's government) should deal with the Holy Roman Empire. These disagreements started after the Concordat of Worms in 1122. This agreement had ended a long fight called the investiture controversy. This fight was about who had the right to appoint church leaders.
Some older cardinals felt that the agreement at Worms gave up too much power. They wanted the Pope to keep his traditional alliance with the Normans in southern Italy. Cardinal Pierleoni, from a powerful Roman family, was a leader of this group.
The other group was led by Aymeric de la Chatre. He had helped create the Concordat of Worms. This group believed the agreement was good for both the Church and the Emperor. They did not trust the Normans, who sometimes tried to expand their power. This group was also allied with the Frangipani family, who were rivals of the Pierleoni family in Rome.
In the weeks before Pope Honorius II died, the cardinals were worried about a split. They agreed that a small group of eight cardinals would choose the next Pope. This group would include two cardinal-bishops, three cardinal-priests, and three cardinal-deacons.
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Who Were the Cardinals?
In February 1130, there were about 42 or 43 cardinals in total. It seems that around 36 or 37 of them were in Rome when Pope Honorius II died.
The cardinals were split into two main groups. Aymeric's group, who supported Innocent II, was smaller with 19 members. The group against him, who supported Anacletus II, had 24 members. However, Aymeric's group was better organized.
Many of the cardinals who supported Anacletus were older. They had been cardinals for a long time, even before the Concordat of Worms in 1122. Most of the cardinals who supported Innocent II were newer, appointed after the agreement with the Emperor. This shows how the agreement divided the cardinals.
Choosing the Pope: The Committee's Role
The special committee of eight cardinals was meant to choose the new Pope. Even though Aymeric's group was smaller overall, they had more members (5 out of 8) on this committee. This happened because each type of cardinal (bishop, priest, deacon) chose their own representatives. Aymeric's supporters had more members among the cardinal-bishops and cardinal-deacons. This gave them the advantage in the election committee.
The cardinals chosen for this committee were:
- Cardinal-Bishops: Guillaume (Bishop of Palestrina) and Corrado della Suburra (Bishop of Sabina). Both supported Aymeric.
- Cardinal-Priests: Pietro Pierleoni (Priest of S. Maria in Trastevere) and Pietro Pisano (Priest of S. Susanna) were against Aymeric. Pietro Ruffino (Priest of SS. Silvestro e Martino) supported Aymeric.
- Cardinal-Deacons: Gregorio Papareschi (Deacon of S. Angelo in Pescheria) and Aymeric de la Chatre (Deacon of S. Maria Nuova) supported Aymeric. Gionata (Deacon of SS. Cosma e Damiano) was against Aymeric.
The Election of Innocent II
Pope Honorius II died during the night of February 13-14, 1130. He passed away in a Roman monastery after being sick for a long time. Cardinal Aymeric quickly buried him and called the election committee together.
Cardinals Pierleoni and Gionata realized that the committee would likely choose someone from Aymeric's side. They left the committee, hoping that not enough members would be left to make a choice. But Aymeric ignored this. The committee went ahead with only six members. Even though Cardinal Pietro Pisano, a legal expert, protested, the committee elected Gregorio Papareschi. He was a cardinal-deacon and a member of the committee. He accepted and became Pope Innocent II.
Innocent II was made Pope in the Lateran Basilica early on February 14. Six other cardinals quickly recognized him as the true Pope. Soon after, eight more cardinals joined them.
The Election of Anacletus II
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However, most cardinals did not accept Innocent II. Pietro Pisano, the legal expert, said Innocent's election was not valid. On the morning of February 14, the cardinals who opposed Aymeric met at the church of S. Marco. They were led by Pietro Pierleoni.
At first, Cardinal Pierleoni suggested that Pietro Senex, the Dean of the College of Cardinals, should be Pope. But Pietro Senex refused. So, the cardinals then all agreed to elect Pierleoni himself. He became Pope Anacletus II.
It's not clear exactly how many cardinals elected Anacletus II. A document announcing his election was signed by 14 cardinals. It is also known that many lower-ranking church leaders in Rome supported Anacletus II.
The Great Split Among Cardinals
The double election caused a big split in the College of Cardinals. At the start of this split, 18 cardinals supported Innocent II. A larger group of 28 cardinals supported Anacletus II.
Over time, some cardinals who first supported Anacletus II changed their minds. They joined Innocent II's side. For example, Stefano Stornato joined Innocent II by 1132. Others like Lectifredo of S. Vitale and Giovanni Dauferio joined in 1133. Pietro Pisano joined in 1137, and Desiderio of S. Prassede joined just before the split ended in 1138.
The Schism: Two Popes at Once
Both popes were officially made Pope on February 23. Innocent II was consecrated in the church of S. Maria Nuova. Anacletus II was consecrated in the Vatican Basilica. This meant Anacletus had more support in Rome from the very beginning. Most of the important families in Rome (except the Frangipani family) and many ordinary people supported Anacletus II. By the end of May, Innocent II had to leave Rome and go to France. Even the Frangipani family then sided with Anacletus.
However, in France, Innocent II found a powerful friend in Bernard of Clairvaux. Bernard was a very respected abbot. Because of Bernard's influence, almost all the kings and church leaders in Europe recognized Innocent II as the true Pope.
Anacletus II controlled Rome and the lands around it. But he only had support from the Normans in southern Italy, Scotland, and some cities in northern Italy.
Both elections had problems, as they didn't fully follow the rules set in 1059. But both sides argued that their Pope was the rightful one. Anacletus's supporters said he was chosen by most cardinals, the lower clergy, and the people of Rome. Innocent II's supporters said he was chosen by most cardinal-bishops, who were supposed to have a leading role.
What really decided who was the true Pope was which one the rest of the Catholic world accepted. Almost everyone recognized Innocent II. His main supporters were Bernard of Clairvaux, Archbishop Norbert of Xanten, and King Lothair III of Germany. The few rulers who had supported Anacletus slowly stopped supporting him. Only King Roger II of Sicily, who had received his crown from Anacletus, stayed loyal until the end.
Anacletus II controlled Rome until he died in January 1138. But his successor quickly gave up and accepted Innocent II. That is why Innocent II is now seen as the true Pope.
