Pedro Helías (or Elías; died 1149) was the
Archbishop of Santiago de Compostela from 1143 until his death. Prior to becoming archbishop he was a
canon of the
cathedral of Saint James from 1102, serving as its
dean in 1122–24.
Pedro and his relative Bernardo—a fellow canon, engineer, archivist and royal chancellor—were both protégés of Archbishop
Diego Gelmírez, but later they fell out with him. In 1116–17 they jointed the municipal revolt of
Compostela against the policies of the archbishop. During the unrest, the archbishop's brother, Gudesindo, was killed.
After Diego's death in 1140, Pedro was the candidate favoured by the chapter and the city, but King
Alfonso VII tried to force the election of
Berengar, former
bishop of Salamanca. The royal choice was resisted. Pedro went to Rome, where he received confirmation from
Pope Innocent II
Pope Innocent II ( la, Innocentius II; died 24 September 1143), born Gregorio Papareschi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 14 February 1130 to his death in 1143. His election as pope was controversial and the fi ...
in 1141. It was not until 1143, however, that Pedro was recognised by the king.
See also
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Catholic Church in Spain
Notes
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Pedro Helias
1149 deaths
Archbishops of Santiago de Compostela