Pope Innocent II ( la, Innocentius II; died 24 September 1143), born Gregorio Papareschi, was head of the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
and ruler of the
Papal States
The Papal States ( ; it, Stato Pontificio, ), officially the State of the Church ( it, Stato della Chiesa, ; la, Status Ecclesiasticus;), were a series of territories in the Italian Peninsula under the direct Sovereignty, sovereign rule of ...
from 14 February 1130 to his death in 1143. His
election
An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office.
Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has opera ...
as
pope
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 ...
was controversial and the first eight years of his reign were marked by a struggle for recognition against the supporters of
Anacletus II. He reached an understanding with King
Lothair III of Germany who supported him against Anacletus and whom he crowned as
Holy Roman emperor. Innocent went on to preside over the
Second Lateran council.
Early years
Gregorio Papareschi came from a Roman family, probably of the ''rione''
Trastevere. Formerly a Cluniac monk, he was made
cardinal deacon of San Angelo in 1116 by
Pope Paschal II. Gregorio was selected by
Pope Callixtus II for various important and difficult missions, such as the one to
Worms for the conclusion of the
Concordat of Worms, the peace accord made with
Holy Roman Emperor Henry V in 1122, and also the one that made peace with King
Louis VI of France
Louis VI (late 1081 – 1 August 1137), called the Fat (french: link=no, le Gros) or the Fighter (french: link=no, le Batailleur), was King of the Franks from 1108 to 1137.
Chronicles called him "King of Saint-Denis". Louis was the first member ...
in 1123. In 1124, he became a close advisor to
Pope Honorius II.
Election as Pope
On the evening of 13 February 1130,
Pope Honorius II died, Gregorio was hastily elected as Pope Innocent II by a commission of six cardinals led by papal chancellor Haimeric. He was consecrated on 14 February, the day after Honorius' death. The other cardinals announced that Innocent had not been canonically elected and chose
Anacletus II, a Roman whose family were the enemy of Haimeric's supporters, the Frangipani. Anacletus' mixed group of supporters were powerful enough to take control of Rome while Innocent was forced to flee north.
Papacy
Anacletus had control of Rome, so Innocent II took ship for
Pisa
Pisa ( , or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the ...
, and thence sailed by way of
Genoa
Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Regions of Italy, Italian region of Liguria and the List of cities in Italy, sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of t ...
to France, where the influence of
Bernard of Clairvaux
Bernard of Clairvaux, Cistercians, O. Cist. ( la, Bernardus Claraevallensis; 109020 August 1153), venerated as Saint Bernard, was an abbot, Mysticism, mystic, co-founder of the Knights Templars, and a major leader in the reformation of the Bened ...
readily secured his cordial recognition by the clergy and the court. In October of 1130, he was duly acknowledged by King
Lothair III of Germany and his bishops at the synod of
Würzburg
Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is a city in the region of Franconia in the north of the German state of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the '' Regierungsbezirk'' Lower Franconia. It spans the banks of the Main River.
Würzbur ...
. In January 1131, he had also a favourable interview with
Henry I of England
Henry I (c. 1068 – 1 December 1135), also known as Henry Beauclerc, was King of England from 1100 to his death in 1135. He was the fourth son of William the Conqueror and was educated in Latin and the liberal arts. On William's death in ...
at Chartres, and in August 1132 Lothar III undertook an expedition to Italy for the double purpose of setting aside Anacletus as
antipope
An antipope ( la, antipapa) is a person who makes a significant and substantial attempt to occupy the position of Bishop of Rome and leader of the Catholic Church in opposition to the legitimately elected pope. At times between the 3rd and mid- ...
and of being crowned by Innocent. Anacletus and his supporters being in secure control of
St. Peter's Basilica, the coronation ultimately took place in the
Lateran Basilica (4 June 1133), but otherwise the expedition proved abortive. Innocent II invested Lothair as emperor and the territories belonging to
Matilda of Tuscany in return for an annuity of 100 pounds of silver paid to the pope.
After Lothar's hasty departure from Rome, Innocent fled to Pisa. In May 1135, Innocent convened the
council of Pisa, which was attended by over one hundred clerics and abbots. Innocent II had the council declare
antipope Anacletus II and his supporters excommunicated.
The second expedition by Lothar III in 1136 was no more decisive in its results, and the protracted struggle between the rival pontiffs was terminated only by the death of Anacletus II on 25 January 1138.
In March 1139, in the ''
Omne Datum Optimum'', Innocent II declared that the
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon ( la, Pauperes commilitones Christi Templique Salomonici), also known as the Order of Solomon's Temple, the Knights Templar, or simply the Templars, was a Catholic military order, o ...
—a religious and military organization then twenty-one years old—should in the future be answerable only to the papacy.
Second Lateran Council
At the
Second Lateran council of April 1139, King
Roger II of Sicily, Innocent II's most uncompromising foe, was
excommunicated
Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to end or at least regulate the communion of a member of a congregation with other members of the religious institution who are in normal communion with each other. The purpose ...
. Can. 29 of the
Second Lateran Council under Pope Innocent II in 1139 banned the use of crossbows, as well as slings and bows, against Christians.
Treaty of Mignano
On 22 July 1139, at
Galluccio, Roger II's son
Roger III of Apulia ambushed the papal troops with a thousand knights and captured Innocent. On 25 July 1139, Innocent was forced to acknowledge the kingship and possessions of Roger with the
Treaty of Mignano. Innocent II died on 24 September 1143 and was succeeded by
Pope Celestine II
Pope Celestine II ( la, Caelestinus II; died 8 March 1144), born Guido di Castello,Thomas, pg. 91 was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 26 September 1143 to his death in 1144.
Early life
Guido di Castello, possibly ...
.
Legacy
In 1134, Innocent elevated as
cardinal-nephew his nephew,
Gregorio Papareschi
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 ...
. He did the same for his brother
Pietro Papareschi, whom he made cardinal in 1142. Another nephew, Cinthio Capellus (died 1182), was also a cardinal, raised to the cardinalate in 1158, after Innocent's death.
Aside from the complete rebuilding of the ancient church of
Santa Maria in Trastevere, which boldly features Ionic capitals from former colonnades in the
Baths of Caracalla and other richly detailed ''spolia'' from Roman monuments, the remaining years of Innocent's life were almost as barren of permanent political results as the first had been. In the Lateran palace, he had a portrait painted depicting Lothar's oath to preserve the privileges of the city of Rome. Innocent's efforts to undo the mischief wrought in Rome by the long schism were almost entirely neutralized by a quarrel with his erstwhile supporter,
Louis VII of France over the candidate for
archbishop of Bourges, in the course of which that kingdom was laid under an
interdict to press for the papal candidate, and by a struggle with the town of
Tivoli
Tivoli may refer to:
* Tivoli, Lazio, a town in Lazio, Italy, known for historic sites; the inspiration for other places named Tivoli
Buildings
* Tivoli (Baltimore, Maryland), a mansion built about 1855
* Tivoli Building (Cheyenne, Wyoming), a ...
in which he became involved. As a result, Roman factions that wished Tivoli annihilated took up arms against Innocent.
In 1143, as the pope lay dying, the
Commune of Rome, to resist papal power, began deliberations that officially reinstated the
Roman Senate
The Roman Senate ( la, Senātus Rōmānus) was a governing and advisory assembly in ancient Rome. It was one of the most enduring institutions in Roman history, being established in the first days of the city of Rome (traditionally founded in ...
the following year. The pope was interred in a
porphyry sarcophagus that contemporary tradition asserted had been the Emperor
Hadrian
Hadrian (; la, Caesar Trâiānus Hadriānus ; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. He was born in Italica (close to modern Santiponce in Spain), a Roman '' municipium'' founded by Italic settlers in Hispan ...
's.
See also
*
Bull of Gniezno
*
List of popes
This chronological list of popes corresponds to that given in the ''Annuario Pontificio'' under the heading "I Sommi Pontefici Romani" (The Roman Supreme Pontiffs), excluding those that are explicitly indicated as antipopes. Published every ye ...
*
Cardinals created by Innocent II
Pope Innocent II (r. 1130–1143) created 76 cardinals in twelve consistories held throughout his pontificate. The pope created as cardinals his future successor Lucius III and the antipope Victor IV.
1130
* Balduino da Pisa O.Cist.
* Pietro
* ...
References
Bibliography
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Further reading
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Innocent 02
1143 deaths
Clergy from Rome
Italian popes
12th-century Italian cardinals
Burials at Santa Maria in Trastevere
Year of birth unknown
Popes
12th-century popes
House of Papareschi
Cardinals created by Pope Urban II