Pope election 1086

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The papal election 1086 took place on May 24th 1086 and ended with the election of Desiderius, Abbot of Monte Cassino, who took the papal name Viktor III. assumed. He thus became the successor to Gregory VII after a long period of vacancy .

Death of Gregory VII.

Pope Gregory VII died in Salerno on May 25, 1085 . Before his death he recommended three canons as possible successors: They were Odo von Châtillon , the Cardinal Bishop of Ostia, Bishop Anselm II of Lucca and Archbishop Hugo of Lyon. Rome was then under the control of Antipope Clement III. , which was supported by Emperor Heinrich IV . So it was almost a year before the election of a successor to Gregory VII began.

Voters

In the papal election decree of 1059, principles of papal election were changed. Only the cardinal bishops were allowed to elect the Pope. The bull was questioned by the cardinal priests . The dispute over this was intensified by the fact that Pope Gregory VII preferred the cardinal bishops. After antipope Clement III. Having taken possession of Rome, Gregory VII had to go into exile.

Cardinal Bishops

In 1086 six cardinal bishops were supporters of Gregory VII.

Cardinal priest

It is believed that ten cardinal priests were supporters of Gregory VII and participated in the election.

None of the deacons of the Roman Church took part in the election. It was not until 1088 that the palace deacons joined the college as cardinal deacons.

Election of Viktor III.

After the death of Gregory VII, the people of Rome drove antipope Clement III out, and Gregory's followers returned. In May 1086 the Cardinals of Gregory VII returned to Rome with Norman troops. On May 24, 1086, the cardinals met in Santa Lucia in Septisolio and elected Desiderius, the abbot of Montecassino and cardinal priest of Santa Cecilia, pope. He was not one of the candidates proposed by his predecessors and turned down the election. Consul Cencius proposed the Cardinal Bishop of Ostia, Otho de Lagery. His election in turn was rejected by one of the cardinals, as it was not allowed under old church law to change the bishopric. So Desiderius was forced to accept the election. Four days later the cardinals had to flee from Rome to Terracina before the imperial prefect, a supporter of the antipope . Terracina left Desiderius without the papal insignia for Montecassino, where he refused to accept his election for another ten months. It was not until March 1087 that he finally accepted the election at the Synod of Capua. Shortly afterwards, the Normans again drove the antipope from Rome. On May 9, 1087, Viktor III. consecrated and crowned bishop in St. Peter's Basilica by Otho de Lagery .

swell

  • Ian Stuart Robinson : The Papacy, 1073-1198: Continuity and Innovation. Cambridge 1990.
  • Hans-Walter Klewitz : Reform Papacy and Cardinal College. Darmstadt 1957.
  • Rudolf Hüls: Cardinals, Clergy and Churches of Rome: 1049–1130. Max Niemeyer, Tübingen 1977.

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