The 1086 papal election (held 24 May) ended with the election of

Desiderius Desiderius, also known as Daufer or Dauferius (born – died ), was king of the Lombards in northern Italy, ruling from 756 to 774. The Frankish king of renown, Charlemagne, married Desiderius's daughter and subsequently conquered his realm. Des ...

, abbot of

Monte Cassino 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 ho ...

as Pope Gregory VII's successor after a year-long period of

sede vacante ''Sede vacante'' ( in Latin.) is a term for the state of a diocese while without a bishop. In the canon law of the Catholic Church, the term is used to refer to the vacancy of the bishop's or Pope's authority upon his death or resignation. Hi ...

Death of Gregory VII

Pope Gregory VII died in exile in Salerno on 25 May 1085. Before his death, the Pope nominated three canons as his preferred successors. They were the cardinal-bishop of Ostia Odo of Châtillon, Bishop Anselm of Lucca, and Archbishop Hugh of Lyon. Rome was at that time under the control of antipope Clement III, supported by the emperor Henry IV, so almost a year before they proceeded to the election of the successor of Gregory VII.

Cardinal electors

The papal bull '' In nomine Domini'' of 1059 changed electoral law to permit only the seven cardinal-bishops of the suburbicarian sees to participate in papal elections. Doubts were harboured about the papal bull had been called into question by the cardinals priests who demanded admission to the election. The antagonism between the cardinal-bishops and cardinal-priests was intensified by the fact that Gregory VII clearly favored the latter. When Antipope Clement III was installed in Rome, he sentenced Gregory VII to exile. Gregory was joined by seven of eighteenOr eight of nineteen, if Cardinal-priest of

San Clemente San Clemente (; Spanish for " St. Clement") is a city in Orange County, California. Located in the Orange Coast region of the South Coast of California, San Clemente's population was 64,293 in at the 2020 census. Situated roughly midway between ...

, Hugo of Remiremont is included. The cardinal had been excommunicated in 1078 and his titular church was given to the abbot Rainiero, the future

Pope Paschal II Pope Paschal II ( la, Paschalis II; 1050 1055 – 21 January 1118), born Ranierius, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 August 1099 to his death in 1118. A monk of the Abbey of Cluny, he was cre ...

. so-called "Gregorian" cardinal-priests and only one cardinal bishop. One of the reasons for the rebellion was that Gregory VII allowed only cardinal-priests in the circle of advisors for the Holy See. Soon the schismatic clergy, those supporting the antipope, controlled 17 of 28 titular churches in Rome. Even the cardinal-priests who remained loyal to Gregory protested against the cardinal-bishops. A "Gregorian", Cardinal

Deusdedit of San Pietro in Vincoli Deusdedit (died between 1097 and 1100) was the cardinal-priest of San Pietro in Vincoli (Sanctus Petrus ad Vincula). Born at Todi, he was a friend of Pope Gregory VII and defender of his reformation measures. Deusdedit joined the Benedictine Order ...

began to distribute a doctored version of the papal bull ''In nomine Domini'', in which the word "cardinals-bishops" was replaced by "cardinals", which according to the nomenclature of the time meant only cardinal-priests. This allowed them to participate in the election of Gregory VII's successor. This was presumed to be the first time cardinal-priests were admitted, although the dominant role of cardinal-bishops was retained.

Cardinal-bishops

In 1086, in the obedience of Gregory VII were six cardinal-bishops:Appointment dates are approximate. * Ubaldo (1063) - Cardinal-bishop of Sabina *

Peter Igneus Pietro Igneo (died 11 November 1089) was an Italian Roman Catholic Benedictine monk from the Vallombrosians branch. He also served as a cardinal and was named as the Cardinal-Bishop of Albano. He is often referred to as a member of the Aldobrandi ...

(1072) - Cardinal bishop of Albano * Giovanni Minuto (1073)Before appointment as Cardinal-bishop, Cardinal Minuto was Cardinal-priest of ''

Santa Maria in Trastevere The Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere ( it, Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere); en, Our Lady in Trastevere) is a titular minor basilica in the Trastevere district of Rome, and one of the oldest churches of Rome. The basic floor plan and ...

'' (ca.1066-1073). - Cardinal-bishop of Tusculum * Otho de Lagery (1080) - Cardinal-Bishop of Ostia *

Bruno Bruno may refer to: People and fictional characters *Bruno (name), including lists of people and fictional characters with either the given name or surname * Bruno, Duke of Saxony (died 880) * Bruno the Great (925–965), Archbishop of Cologne, ...

(1079) - Cardinal-bishop of Segni *

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

(1085) -

Cardinal-bishop of Porto A cardinal ( la, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae cardinalis, literally 'cardinal of the Holy Roman Church') is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. Cardinals are created by the ruling pope and typically hold the title for life. Col ...

Cardinal-priests

Based on available data, it can also be inferred that there were only ten cardinal-priests in the obedience of Gregory VII, although it is possible that the data are incomplete: *

, (1059) - Cardinal-priest of ''

Santa Cecilia Santa Cecilia is a municipality and town located in the province of Burgos, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members ...

'', abbot of

, vicar of southern Italy * Benedetto Cao (1073) - Cardinal-Priest of ''

Santa Prassede The Basilica of Saint Praxedes ( la, Basilica Sanctae Praxedis, it, Basilica di Santa Prassede all’Esquillino), commonly known in Italian as Santa Prassede, is an early medieval titular church and minor basilica located near the papal basilic ...

'' * Deusdedit (1078) - Cardinal-priest of ''

San Pietro in Vincoli San Pietro in Vincoli (; Saint Peter in Chains) is a Roman Catholic titular church and minor basilica in Rome, Italy, best known for being the home of Michelangelo's statue of Moses, part of the tomb of Pope Julius II. The '' Titulus S. Petr ...

'' * Rainiero (1078) - Cardinal-priest of ''

'', abbot of the

Basilica of Saint Lawrence outside the Walls The Basilica Papale di San Lorenzo fuori le mura (Papal Basilica of Saint Lawrence outside the Walls) is a Roman Catholic Minor papal basilica and parish church, located in Rome, Italy. The Basilica is one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome ...

* Richard de Saint-Victor (1078) - Cardinal-priest of the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls and Abbot of St. Victor, Marseille * Herman de Gavardo (1080) - Cardinal-priest of ''

Santi Quattro Coronati Santi Quattro Coronati is an ancient basilica in Rome, Italy. The church dates back to the fourth or fifth century, and is devoted to four anonymous saints and martyrs. The complex of the basilica with its two courtyards, the fortified Cardinal P ...

'' * Benedict (1080) - Cardinal-priest of ''

Santa Pudenziana Santa Pudenziana is a church of Rome, a basilica built in the 4th century and dedicated to Saint Pudentiana, sister of Praxedes and daughter of Pudens (mentioned by Paul the Apostle in ''2 Timothy'', 4: 21). It is one of the national churches in ...

'' * Roman (1082) - Cardinal-priest of ''

Santa Susanna The Church of Saint Susanna at the Baths of Diocletian ( it, Chiesa di Santa Susanna alle Terme di Diocleziano) is a Roman Catholic parish church located on the Quirinal Hill in Rome, Italy. There has been a titular church associated to its site ...

'' * Bonussenior (1082) - Cardinal-priest of ''

'' * Pietro Atenulfi (1085) - Cardinal-priest and abbot of ''Chiesa di San Benedetto in Salerno'' It is not known whether the deacons of the Church participated in this election. It seems that deacons obedient to Gregory, were not even considered cardinals. It was not until about 1088 that the deacons of the palace (around seven deacons) joined the College as cardinal-deacons. This change occurred due to the schismatic Antipope Clement III. When, in 1084, three of the seven deacons of the palace joined the antipope they, in their records, began to refer to themselves as "

cardinal-deacon A cardinal ( la, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae cardinalis, literally 'cardinal of the Holy Roman Church') is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. Cardinals are created by the ruling pope and typically hold the title for life. Col ...

s". This concept was later borrowed by Urban II.

Election of Victor III

After Gregory VII's death, the people expelled Antipope Clement III from Rome allowing for the return of Gregory's supporters. In May 1086, Norman troops arrived in Rome with the "Gregorian" cardinals, who proceeded to begin the papal elections. On 24 May 1086, meeting in the ''Chiesa di Santa Lucia in Sepitisolio'', the cardinals elected Desiderius, Abbot of Montecassino and cardinal-priest of ''Santa Cecilia'', as pope despite not being among the candidates nominated by Gregory. Desiderius, however, refused to accept the tiara, threatening the electors with a return to the monastery. Consul Cencius suggested Cardinal-bishop of Ostia, Otho de Lagery, the only dissenting cardinal, and the only cardinal forced to accept Desiderius' selection. De Lagery's candidacy was, however, met with opposition from one of the cardinals (probably Deusdedit), who referred to old canon law prohibiting the translation of a bishop from one diocese to another. In this situation, the choice of Desiderius was upheld and he was forced to accept it under the name of Victor III. Four days later, the "Gregorian" fled from Rome to

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 ...

before the imperial prefect of Rome, a supporter of Clement III. In Terracina, the pope-elect left the papal insignia and retired to ''Monte Cassino'', where he remained in persistent refusal for ten months. It was only in March 1087, at the Synod of Capua, that he accepted his election as head of the Catholic Church. Soon after, the Normans once again removed Antipope Clement III from Rome. On 9 May 1087, Victor III was consecrated and crowned in

St Peter's Basilica The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican ( it, Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano), or simply Saint Peter's Basilica ( la, Basilica Sancti Petri), is a Church (building), church built in the Renaissance architecture, Renaissanc ...

Notes

References

* Ian Stuart Robinson,'' The Papacy, 1073-1198: Continuity and Innovation'', Cambridge 1990 * Hans Walter Klewitz,'' Reformpapsttum und Kardinalkolleg'', Darmstadt 1957 * Rudolf Huls,'' Kardinal, Klerus und Kirchen Roms: 1049-1130'', Tübingen 1977

External links

*
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15410a.htm
{{Subject bar , portal1= Catholicism , portal2= Christianity , portal3= Vatican City , b=y, b-search=Biblical Studies/Christianity/Roman Catholicism/History , commons=y, commons-search=Papal conclave , n=y, n-search=Roman Catholic Church , q=y, q-search=Popes , s=y, s-search=Popes , v=y, v-search=Christian History , wikt=y, wikt-search=Pope , d=y 11th-century elections 1086

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1086 in Europe 11th-century Catholicism