The First Council of the Lateran was the 9th ecumenical council recognized by the Catholic Church. It was convoked by Pope Callixtus II in December 1122, immediately after the Concordat of Worms. The council sought to bring an end to the practice of the conferring of ecclesiastical benefices by people who were laymen, free the election of bishops and abbots from secular influence, clarify the separation of spiritual and temporal affairs, re-establish the principle that spiritual authority resides solely in the Church and abolish the claim of the Holy Roman Emperor to influence papal elections.
Pope Callixtus II or Callistus II, born Guy of Burgundy, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1 February 1119 to his death in 1124. His pontificate was shaped by the Investiture Controversy, which he was able to settle through the Concordat of Worms in 1122.
Pope Gelasius II, born Giovanni Caetani or Giovanni da Gaeta, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 January 1118 to his death in 1119. A monk of Monte Cassino and chancellor of Pope Paschal II, Caetani was unanimously elected to succeed him. In doing so he also inherited the conflict with Emperor Henry V over investiture. Gelasius spent a good part of his brief papacy in exile.
Victor IV was an antipope for a short time, from March to 29 May 1138.
Pandulf of Pisa was a twelfth-century Italian cardinal, and biographer of several contemporary popes. He was a native of Rome. He was a nephew of Cardinal Hugo of Alatri. Under Pope Paschal II, and probably with the patronage of his uncle, Pandulf held the post of ostiarius at the papal court. It is deduced from his detailed description of the election of Pope Gelasius II on 24 January 1118 that he was present. On his coronation day, 10 March 1118, Pope Gelasius II elevated him to the rank of Lector and Exorcist. Pope Calixtus II ordained him a subdeacon.
Cuno of Praeneste was a German Cardinal and papal legate, an influential diplomatic figure of the early 12th century, active in France and Germany. He held numerous synods throughout Europe, and excommunicated the Emperor Henry V numerous times, in the struggle over the issue of lay investiture of ecclesiastical offices. He spent six years promoting the acceptance of Thurstan of York as archbishop by King Henry I of England, without making York subject to Canterbury. He was seriously considered for election to the papacy in 1119, which he refused.
John of Crema was an Italian papal legate and cardinal. He was a close supporter of Pope Callistus II.
The 1119 papal election was, of all the elections currently considered legitimate by the Roman Catholic Church, the smallest papal election of the twelfth century.
Oderisio di Sangro was an Italian Benedictine monk and cardinal, the son of Count Rinaldo of the family of the conti di Sangro in the Marsi.
The 1118 Papal Election was held to choose the successor for Pope Paschal II, who died in Rome on 21 January 1118, after an 18-year pontificate. Pope Gelasius II was elected as his successor. The election happened during the Investiture Controversy, a conflict between supporters of the Papacy and those of the Holy Roman Emperor. The election was held under the threat of possible violence due to the controversy. The Cardinal electors took refuge in the Benedictine monastery, S. Maria in Pallara, during the election. Within minutes of his election as pope, Gelasius II was attacked and imprisoned by the Frangipani faction, supporters of the Holy Roman Emperor. Gelasius managed to escape, but at the emperor's arrival with his army, he fled Rome and never returned.
Boso was a Roman Catholic cardinal, priest of Sant'Anastasia al Palatino (1116–1122) and bishop of Turin (1122–1126×28). He was a frequent apostolic legate, making four separate trips to Spain in this capacity. In Spain he proclaimed a crusade to re-conquer the Balearics and held several synods to establish the Gregorian reforms. In Turin, he introduced the truce of God to curb private warfare.
Deusdedit was the cardinal-priest of San Lorenzo in Damaso from 1116 until his death. He was named a cardinal by Pope Paschal II. Nothing is known of his life before he was a cardinal. He is not the canonist Balius Severinus Deusdedit, appointed cardinal priest of the Roman titular church Apostolorum in Eudóxia by Pope Gregory VII.
Vitalis of Albano was a Cardinal and bishop of Albano.
Bonifacius was a Roman Catholic Cardinal and Cardinal-priest of the titulus of San Marco. In 1111, he was one of the cardinals captured by King Henry V at what was supposed to be his coronation, and was held prisoner near Rome along with the pope for sixty-one days. He was forced to subscribe to the oath taken by Pope Paschal II, according to the dictates of King Henry. He was then one of the cardinals who opposed the agreements struck by Paschal with Henry in the Lateran synod of 1112. He was not one of the cardinals who followed popes Gelasius, Calixtus, or Honorius on their travels. In the contested papal election of 1130, he supported Pope Anacletus II.
Divizo was a Roman Catholic Cardinal and Cardinal-priest of the titulus of Santi Silvestro e Martino ai Monti, originally called the titulus Equitii. In 1108, he was papal legate to Germany. He opposed the conciliatory policy of Pope Paschal II to the German King Henry in the Investiture controversy, was imprisoned with the pope and fifteen other cardinals, and forced to sign papal agreements. He then worked against them in the Roman synod of March 1112. After the synod, he was sent to Germany as a legate to Henry V, to work out a compromise. In the winter of 1121 he was promoted Cardinal-bishop of Tusculum (Frascati).
Desiderius was a Roman Catholic Cardinal, and Cardinal-priest of the titulus of S. Prassede in Rome.
Gregorius was a 12th century Roman Catholic Cardinal, and Cardinal-priest of the titulus of San Lorenzo in Lucina in Rome. A remark by Hugh the Chanter of York appears to indicate that he was a native of Siena. Rudolf Hüls, however, notes that Hugh might have mistaken Gregory of San Lorenzo and Gregory of Santa Prisca. Alfonso Chacón (Ciaconius) calls him Gregorius de Ceccano, a Hernician of the diocese of Aquino. Lorenzo Cardella says that Gregorius was born in Ceccano in the diocese of Sora, "da nobilissima famiglia". There is no evidence whatever that Gregorius of San Lorenzo was a member of the Albergati family of Bologna.
Theobaldus was a 12th century Roman Catholic Cardinal, and Cardinal-priest of the titulus of Ss. Giovanni e Paolo in Rome. He is given a second name, Teuto, by Alfonso Chacón, but Teuto was actually a predecessor of Theobaldus at Ss. Giovanni e Paolo.
Rainerius was a 12th century Roman Catholic Cardinal, and Cardinal-priest of the titulus of Ss. Marcellino e Pietro in Rome.
