| Papal election December 1187 | |
|---|---|
| Dates and location | |
| 19 December 1187 Pisa | |
| Key officials | |
| Dean | Konrad von Wittelsbach |
| Camerlengo | Melior le Maitre |
| Protopriest | Giovanni Conti da Anagni |
| Protodeacon | Giacinto Bobone Orsini |
| Elected pope | |
| Paolo Scolari Name taken: Clement III | |
 | |
The December 1187 papal election (held on 19 December) was convoked after the death of Pope Gregory VIII. It resulted in the election of Cardinal Paolo Scolari, who took the name of Clement III.
Alberto di Morra, as papal chancellor, had followed Pope Lucius III in his flight from the Roman campagna, to seek aid from the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in Verona. Negotiations between the two quickly broke down, and the pope and his court found themselves trapped in Verona by a hostile emperor. Frederick besieged the pope in Verona, forbidding appeals to the pope from anyone in his domains, and obstructing appeals from elsewhere. Anyone apprehended in an attempt to reach the papal curia or returning from it was imprisoned and subjected to torture. [1] Lucius died during the siege on 25 November 1185. His successor was Humbertus Crivelli, the Archbishop of Milan and Cardinal of S. Lorenzo in Damaso, " a violent and unyielding spirit, and a strong opponent of Frederick (Barbarossa)," in the words of Ferdinand Gregorovius. He took the name Urban III, and maintained all of the uncompromising policies of Lucius III. [2] Urban III continued the hostilities with the emperor, offering no concessions, and finally arriving at the decision to excommunicate him. He was deterred only by the urgent pleas of the people of Verona. Urban and the cardinals who were besieged with him were able to escape from Verona in the last weeks of September 1187, taking refuge in Ferrara. Urban died there on 20 October 1187. [3]
On the following day thirteen cardinals who had been present in Ferrara began the proceedings to elect his successor. [4] The cardinals were aware that the papal chancellor, Albert di Morra, was in great favor with the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, because he was a member of the imperial party in the curia, and because he reported to the emperor all the confidential activities of the Roman curia. [5] On 21 October 1187 he was unanimously elected pope and took the name Gregory VIII.
Pope Gregory immediately began to reverse the anti-imperial policies of his predecessors. He announced that King Henry would be given an imperial coronation. The emperor Frederick immediately cancelled his blockade of the papal curia, and announced that Pope Gregory and his curia were free to go wherever they wished. Henry ordered Leo de Monumento, the Roman consul, and the German Count Anselm to conduct the pope safely to wherever he wished to go. [6] Gregory travelled to Bologna (18–20 November 1187), Modena (22 November), Reggio Emilia (24 November), Parma (26–29 November), Lucca (7–9 December), and finally Pisa (10–17 December). [7]
At the death of Gregory VIII there were probably only 20 cardinals. [8] Basing on the countersigning of the papal bulls in December 1187 [9] it is possible to establish that at least 9 cardinals [10] were present at Pisa at the death of Gregory VIII:
| Elector | Place of birth | Title | Elevated | Elevator | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paolo Scolari | Rome | Bishop of Palestrina | 21 September 1179 | Alexander III | Archpriest of the patriarchal Liberian Basilica; elected Pope Clement III |
| Thibaud, O.S.B.Cluny | France | Bishop of Ostia e Velletri | 1184 | Lucius III | |
| Laborans de Pontormo | Pontormo | Priest of S. Maria in Trastevere | September 1173 | Alexander III | |
| Melior, O.S.B.Vall. [11] | Pisa | Priest of SS. Giovanni e Paolo | 16 March 1185 | Lucius III | Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church |
| Giacinto Bobone | Rome | Deacon of S. Maria in Cosmedin | 22 December 1144 | Lucius II [12] | Protodeacon; legate in Spain, 1188; [13] future Pope Celestine III (1191-1198) |
| Graziano da Pisa | Pisa | Deacon of SS. Cosma e Damiano | 4 March 1178 | Alexander III | |
| Ottaviano di Paoli | Rome | Deacon of SS. Sergio e Bacco | 18 December 1182 | Lucius III | Future bishop of Ostia e Velletri (1189-1206) |
| Pietro Diana | Piacenza | Deacon of S. Nicola in Carcere | 16 March 1185 | Lucius III | |
| Radulfus Nigellus | probably France | Deacon of S. Giorgio in Velabro | 16 March 1185 | Lucius III |
Five electors were created by Pope Lucius III, three by Pope Alexander III, one by Pope Lucius II.
Probably eleven cardinals were absent:
| Elector | Place of birth | Cardinalatial title | Elevated | Elevator | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Konrad von Wittelsbach | Bavaria | Bishop of Sabina and Archbishop of Mainz | 18 December 1165 | Alexander III | prior cardinalium; |
| Henri de Marsiac, O.Cist. | Château de Marcy, France | Bishop of Albano | March 1179 | Alexander III | Papal legate in Germany [14] |
| Joannes Anagninus (Giovanni dei Conti di Anagni) | Anagni | Priest of S. Marco | 1158/1159 | Adrian IV | Protopriest |
| Ruggiero di San Severino | San Severino | Priest of S. Eusebio and Archbishop of Benevento | Ca. 1178-1180 | Alexander III | |
| Guillaume aux Blanches Mains | France | Priest of S. Sabina and Archbishop of Reims | March 1179 | Alexander III | Minister of State of the Kingdom of France |
| Albino, C.R.S.F. | Gaeta (?) | Priest of S. Croce in Gerusalemme | 18 December 1182 | Lucius III | Future bishop of Albano (1189-1197) |
| Pandolfo | Lucca | Priest of SS. XII Apostoli | 18 December 1182 | Lucius III | |
| Adelardo Cattaneo | Verona | Priest of S. Marcello | 16 March 1185 | Lucius III | Future bishop of Verona (1188-1214) |
| Soffredo | Pistoia | Deacon of S. Maria in Via Lata | 18 December 1182 | Lucius III | Papal legate in France |
| Bobo | Rome | Deacon of S. Angelo in Pescheria | 18 December 1182 | Lucius III | Papal legate in France |
| Gerardo | Lucca | Deacon of S. Adriano | 18 December 1182 | Lucius III | Papal Vicar |
Seven absentees were created by Lucius III, three by Alexander III, and one by Adrian IV.
Pope Gregory VIII died at Pisa of a brief illness, said to have been a fever lasting eight days, on 17 December 1187. [15] He had been pope only one month and twenty-seven days.
Two days later the cardinals assembled in the cathedral of Pisa, and began proceedings to elect his successor. [16] Cardinal Pietro Scolari had to be carried to the cathedral from the Hospitium Sancti Pauli de ripa Arni. [17] The election was celebrated in the presence of the Consul of Rome, Leo de Monumento. [18] The cardinals unanimously elected Cardinal Paolo Scolari, bishop of Palestrina, on 19 December 1187, the Saturday after the Feast of S. Barbara. He accepted his election and took the name Clement III. [19] On 20 December, he was solemnly crowned by protodeacon Giacinto Bobone Orsini, [20]
Immediate arrangements were begun for a return to Rome. Without delay Pope Clement sent his legates to the Roman people, in order to formulate a firm peace between him and them. [21] Orders were issued to the papal chamberlain, Cencius Camerarius, to receive the oaths of office of the ostiarii of the Lateran palace, which was carried out on 22 January; the also issued instructions for their service. [22] On 26 January 1188, Pope Clement was in Siena, and by 11 February 1188 he returned to Rome and was resident at the Lateran. [23] [24]
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Pope Clement III, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 December 1187 to his death in 1191. He ended the conflict between the Papacy and the city of Rome, by allowing the election of magistrates, which reinstalled the Papacy back in the city after a six year exile. Clement, faced with a deplete college of cardinals, created thirty-one cardinals over three years, the most since Hadrian IV. He died 20 March 1191 and was quickly replaced by Celestine III.
Henry of Marcy, or Henry de Marsiac, was a Cistercian abbot, first of Hautecombe in Savoy (1160–1177), and then of Clairvaux, from 1177 until 1179. He was created Cardinal Bishop of Albano by Pope Alexander III at the Third Lateran Council in 1179.
Albinus was an Italian Cardinal of the late twelfth century. A native of Milan, or perhaps of Gaeta, he became an Augustinian regular canon.
The 1185 papal election was a convoked after the death of Pope Lucius III. It resulted in the election of Cardinal Uberto Crivelli of Milan, who took the name of Urban III.
The October 1187 papal election was convoked after the death of Pope Urban III. He and the papal court had escaped from the imperial blockade of Verona only the month before, and had taken refuge in Ferrara. The election, held in Ferrara the day after the pope's death, resulted in the election of Cardinal Alberto Sartori di Morra, who took the name of Gregory VIII. He was a partisan of the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, whose election delighted him. Gregory VIII reigned only two months.
The 1181 papal election followed the death of Pope Alexander III and resulted in the election of Pope Lucius III. This was the first papal election celebrated in accordance with the decree Licet de evitanda discordia, promulgated in the Third Lateran Council in 1179, which established that the pope is elected by a majority of two thirds votes.
The 1191 papal election took place after the death of Pope Clement III. Pope Clement, according to differing and irreconcilable reports, died in March 1191, in the last third of the month, on the 20th, the 25th, the 26th, the 28th, or perhaps 2 April or 4 April, or 10 April. The election was conducted during the march of King Henry VI and his army toward Rome. The 85-year-old Cardinal Giacinto Bobone, a member of the Orsini family, was chosen after some extreme reluctance. He took the name Celestine III. Pressed by the Romans, however, he agreed to negotiate with King Henry about his coronation as emperor and about the possession of the city of Tusculum. Celestine postponed his own consecration in order to buy time to negotiate. He was finally crowned on Easter Sunday, 14 April 1191.
Pietro Diani was an Italian cardinal. The name "Diana" is incorrect; he signs himself Petrus Dianus.
Vitalis of Albano was a Cardinal and bishop of Albano.
Roscemanno, O.S.B.Cas. was a Roman Catholic Cardinal and Deacon of San Giorgio in Velabro.
Petrus Pisanus was a Roman Catholic Cardinal. He began his career in papal service as a scriptor in the chancellery. He was appointed Deacon of San Giorgio in Velabro, and then promoted Cardinal-priest of Santa Susanna. He served briefly as papal legate in Corsica, before becoming a permanent member of the papal court. He participated in the papal elections of 1118, 1124, and 1130. In 1130, he chose to support the Obedience of Anacletus II rather than that of Innocent II. After Anacletus died in 1138, he joined the Obedience of Innocent II, and survived the purge of 1139.
Laborans de Pontormo was an Italian cardinal. His name in Italian is Laborante. He was a native of Pontormo, a suburb of the city of Florence on the left bank of the Arno River. He was a distinguished jurist and influential writer on canon law.
Radulfus Nigellus was a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He was a native of Pisa, or perhaps of France.
Rolandus was a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He was a native of Pisa, not Siena or Brittany. He was elected archbishop of Dol, but was not consecrated for five years, due to the opposition his metropolitan, the archbishop of Tours. Before he became a cardinal, he was sent by Pope Lucius III as his representative to Scotland to attempt to resolve a dispute over episcopal elections, involving the king.
Bobo was a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He was a native of Rome, and a member of the Bobone family, later called the Orsini.
Graziano da Pisa was a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He was a native of Pisa, and the nephew of Pope Eugenius III (1145-1153). He had studied law in Bologna, and held the rank of Magister. He was a prominent official in the papal chancery, and an accomplished papal diplomat.
Ardicio de Rivoltela was a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He was a native of Piadena (Platina), in the diocese of Cremona in Lombardy. The appellation "de Rivoltela" is mentioned only once, and its significance is unclear.
Melior, O.S.B. Vall. was a Benedictine monk, and a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He was a native of Pisa. He served as papal legate in France for more than three years, trying to arrange a peace between Richard I and Philip II. He became a major negotiator, on the mandate of Pope Celestine III, in the divorce case between King Philip II of France and Queen Ingeborg of Denmark.
Theodinus, O.S.B. was a Benedictine monk, and a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He was a native of Arrone, a hilltop town 15 km east of Terni. He became a cardinal priest, and then cardinal bishop of Porto. He served as a papal diplomat, in Normandy, in the Balkans, and in Venice. He participated in the papal elections of 1181 and 1185.
Pietro de Bono was a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He was a native of Verona in Lombardy, signing his name at least once as D. Petri de Verona. He was not from Pisa, nor was he from Bologna. He belonged to the Canons Regular of S. Maria di Reno in Bologna.
