1143 papal election


A papal election on 26 September 1143 followed the death of Innocent II and resulted in the election of Celestine II as the new pope of the Roman Catholic Church.

Election of Celestine II

Pope Innocent II died on 24 September 1143, at Rome. During the first eight years of his pontificate he faced the schism with Antipope Anacletus II, which finally ended in May 1138 with abdication and submission of Anacletus’ successor Antipope Victor IV (1138). The Second Lateran Council in April 1139 deposed from the ecclesiastical offices all former adherents of the Anacletus. However, despite the triumph over the antipope, the last years of Innocent's pontificate were not successful - papal armies were defeated by King Roger II of Sicily, who had received the crown from Anacletus II and demanded the recognition of his title from Innocent II. After the lost battle of Galluccio on 22 July 1139 the pope was taken prisoner by Roger and was forced to confirm all privileges given to the king by Anacletus II. Soon afterwards new serious problem arose at the city of Rome. In 1143, shortly before Innocent's death, the Roman people created a municipal commune which rejected the secular rule of the Papacy in the Eternal City. The election of Innocent's successor took place in the shadow of this municipal revolution.
The cardinals present at Rome assembled in the Lateran Basilica and on 26 September 1143 elected Cardinal Guido del Castello of S. Marco, who had previously served as legate of Innocent II before king Roger in 1137, and was the first cardinal known to hold the title of magister. He took the name Celestine II and was consecrated on the same day.

Cardinal-electors

There were probably 30 cardinals in the Sacred College of Cardinals in September 1143. Basing on the examination of the subscriptions of the papal bulls in 1143 and the available data about the external missions of the cardinals it is possible to establish that no more than 23 cardinals participated in the election:
ElectorCardinalatial TitleElevatedElevatorNotes
Corrado Demetri della SuburraBishop of Sabina1113/14Paschalis IIDean of the College of Cardinals; future Pope Anastasius IV
Alberic de Beauvais, O.S.B.ClunyBishop of Ostia3 April 1138Innocent II
Étienne de Châlons, O.Cist.Bishop of Palestrina21 February 1141Innocent II
Imar, O.S.B.ClunyBishop of Tusculum13 March 1142Innocent II
PietroBishop of Albano17 September 1143Innocent II
Gerardo Caccianemici, Can.Reg.Priest of S. Croce in Gerusalemme9 March 1123Callixtus IIProtopriest; Chancellor of the Holy Roman Church; future Pope Lucius II
Guido del CastelloPriest of S. Marco1128/29Honorius IIElected Pope Celestine II
Guido FlorentinusPriest of S. Crisogono1139Innocent II
RainieroPriest of S. Prisca22 December 1139Innocent II
Gregorio della SuburraPriest of S. Maria in Trastevere1 March 1140Innocent II
TommasoPriest of S. Vitale1 March 1140Innocent II
PietroPriest of S. Pudenziana20 September 1140Innocent IIArchpriest of the Vatican Basilica
UbaldoPriest of SS. Giovanni e Paolo19 December 1141Innocent II
Gregorio TarquiniDeacon of SS. Sergio e Bacco9 March 1123Callixtus IIProtodeacon
Odone BonecaseDeacon of S. Giorgio in Velabro4 March 1132Innocent II
UbaldoDeacon of S. Maria in Via Lata21 December 1134Innocent II
GerardoDeacon of S. Maria in Domnica27 May 1138Innocent II
Ottaviano de MonticelliDeacon of S. Nicola in Carcere25 February 1138Innocent IIFuture Antipope Victor IV (1159–1164)
PietroDeacon of S. Maria in Aquiro21 February 1141Innocent II
PietroDeacon of S. Maria in Portico19 September 1141Innocent II
GregorioDeacon of the Holy Roman Church19 December 1141Innocent II
NiccoloDeacon of the Holy Roman Church13 March 1142Innocent II

Eighteen electors were created by Pope Innocent II, two by Pope Callixtus II, one by Pope Honorius II and one by Pope Paschalis II.

Absentees

ElectorCardinalatial TitleElevatedElevatorNotes
Theodwin, O.S.B.Bishop of Santa Rufinaca. 1133Innocent IIPapal legate in Germany
GoizoPriest of S. Cecilia22 December 1139Innocent IIPapal legate in Lombardy
Rainaldo di Collemezzo, O.S.B.Cas.Priest of SS. Marcellino e Pietroca. 1139–1141Innocent IIAbbot of Montecassino
Ubaldo AllucingoliPriest of S. Prassede16 December 1138Innocent IIPapal legate in Lombardy; future Pope Lucius III
Guido PisanoDeacon of SS. Cosma e Damiano4 March 1132Innocent IIPapal legate in Spain
Adenulf, O.S.B.Deacon of S. Maria in Cosmedin16 December 1132Innocent IIAbbot of Farfa
Guido de Castro FicecloDeacon of the Holy Roman Church1139Innocent IIPapal legate in Bohemia and Moravia
GilbertoDeacon of S. Adriano13 March 1142Innocent IIPapal legate in Umbria