A papal election subsequent to the death of Pope Victor III in 1087 was held on 12 March 1088. Six cardinal-bishops, assisted by two lower-ranking cardinals, elected Cardinal-Bishop of Ostia Odon de Lagery as the new Pope. He assumed the name ''Urban II''.

Background

Pope Victor III died on 16 September 1087 at

Montecassino Monte Cassino (today usually spelled Montecassino) is a rocky hill about southeast of Rome, in the Latin Valley, Italy, west of Cassino and at an elevation of . Site of the Roman town of Casinum, it is widely known for its abbey, the first h ...

. Shortly before his death he recommended the election of Cardinal Odon de Lagery as his successor. For six months, the Obedience of Victor III was without a pope. Rome at that time was under control of

Antipope Clement III Guibert or Wibert of Ravenna ( 10298 September 1100) was an Italian prelate, archbishop of Ravenna, who was elected pope in 1080 in opposition to Pope Gregory VII and took the name Clement III. Gregory was the leader of the movement in the chur ...

, who was supported by the Emperor Henry IV of Germany, and there was no hope for its quick recovery. In this situation the adherents of Victor III assembled on 9 March 1088 at

Terracina Terracina is an Italian city and ''comune'' of the province of Latina, located on the coast southeast of Rome on the Via Appia ( by rail). The site has been continuously occupied since antiquity. History Ancient times Terracina appears in anci ...

, under the protection of the Norman army of Roger I of Sicily, to elect the new pope. Besides the cardinal-bishops, who were the sole electors of the pope, there were present also at the electoral assembly in the cathedral of SS. Pietro e Cesareo the representatives of the two other orders of cardinals, more than 40 bishops and abbots, as well as Benedetto, prefect of Rome and Countess

Matilda of Tuscany Matilda of Tuscany ( it, Matilde di Canossa , la, Matilda, ; 1046 – 24 July 1115 or Matilda of Canossa after her ancestral castle of Canossa), also referred to as ("the Great Countess"), was a member of the House of Canossa (also known as th ...

. Bishop Joannes of Tusculum arose in the midst of the crowded church, and addressed those assembled about the actions of

Pope Gregory VII Pope Gregory VII ( la, Gregorius VII; 1015 – 25 May 1085), born Hildebrand of Sovana ( it, Ildebrando di Soana), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 22 April 1073 to his death in 1085. He is venerated as a saint ...

and Pope Victor III ''de ordinanda ecclesiae'', and likewise about the reasons why they were gathered at that place at that time. Then Bishop Joannes of Porto and Benedict the Prefect of the City of Rome arose, and announced that they held powers from the clergy and from the laity of the city in this matter.

Election

The usual three days of fasting and prayer were proclaimed, and the meeting adjourned until Sunday 12 March. On that day the cardinals and the rest of the present churchmen and laymen reassembled in the same church. The bishops of Albano, Tusculum and Porto together proposed the election of Odon de Lagery (Odo de Châtillon), Bishop of Ostia, who had been designated by Victor III. Cardinal Rainerius assented on behalf of the other cardinal-priests. Oderisius of Montecassino spoke for the deacons. Benedict, the Prefect of Rome, spoke for the people of Rome. Odo accepted his election and took the name Urban II. The name chosen by the new pope after his election was publicly announced by Peter Igneus, Bishop of Albano. On the same day, the new Pope was enthroned and celebrated the inauguration mass. However, it was not until November 1088 that Urban II was able to travel to Rome.

Cardinal-electors

According to the decree of Pope Nicholas II In Nomine Domini (1059), Cardinal-Bishops of the

suburbicarian sees The seven suburbicarian dioceses are Roman Catholic dioceses located in the vicinity of Rome, whose (titular) bishops are the (now six) ordinary members of the highest-ranking order of cardinals, the cardinal bishops (to which the cardinal-patriarc ...

were the sole electors of the Pope. In March 1088 there were four or five Cardinal Bishops. The presence of five bishops, including Bruno of Segni, is guaranteed by the letter of the newly elected pope, Urban II, to the archbishop of Salzburg, where he mentions all of the participants in the events at Terracina. A similar, but not identical, letter was sent to the abbot of Cluny.

Other electors

Two Cardinals of non-episcopal rank, one Cardinal-Priest and one Cardinal Deacon assisted at the election:Urban II, in: Watterich I, p. 576. H.W. Klewitz, p. 88; I.S.Robinson, p. 62; Salvador Miranda
papal election of 1088
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Notes

References

Bibliography

* * Gregoire, Réginald (1965) ''Bruno di Segni, exégète médiéval et théologien monastique'' Spoleto: Centro Italiano di Studi sull'alto Medio Evo: 1965. * Gregorovius, Ferdinand (1896). ''History of Rome in the Middle Ages''. Volume IV
Part I.
second edition, revised (London: George Bell, 1896). pp. 265–271. * Huls, Rudolf, '' Kardinal, Klerus und Kirchen Roms: 1049-1130'' . Tübingen 1977. *H.W. Klewitz, ''Reformpapsttum und Kardinalskolleg'', Darmstadt 1957 *I. S. Robinson, ''The Papacy, 1073-1198: Continuity and Innovation'', Cambridge University Press, 1990. * {{Authority control

Papal The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

Papal elections