Pope Innocent II

Pope Innocent II (died September 24, 1143), born Gregorio Papareschi, was Pope from 1130 to 1143, and was probably one of the clergy in personal attendance on the antipope Clement III (Guibert of Ravenna).

Early life

He was a Roman by birth.

Cardinal

Pope Paschal II (1099–1118) made him a Cardinal Deacon. In this capacity, he accompanied Pope Gelasius II (1118–19) when driven into France; and by Pope Calixtus II (1119–24), he was appointed on various important missions, such as on that to Worms for concluding the peace accord with the Emperor in 1122 (see Concordat of Worms), and on that to France in 1123.

Papacy

On February 14, 1130, he was hurriedly chosen to succeed Pope Honorius II (1124–30); soon afterwards an opposition asserted itself which issued in the counter-election of Pietro Pierleoni as Anacletus II (1130–38). Unable to maintain his position in Rome, Innocent II took ship for Pisa, and thence sailed by Genoa to France, where the influence of Bernard of Clairvaux readily secured his cordial recognition by the clergy and the court; in October of the same year he was duly acknowledged by Lothar II of Germany and his bishops at the synod of Würzburg. In January 1131, he had also a favourable interview with Henry I of England (1100–35); and in August 1132 Lothar II undertook an expedition to Italy for the double purpose of being crowned by the Pope, and of setting aside the antipope. The coronation ultimately took place in the Lateran church (June 4, 1133), but otherwise the expedition proved abortive. A second expedition by Lothar II in 1136 was not more decisive in its results, and the protracted struggle between the rival pontiffs was terminated only by the death of Anacletus II on January 25, 1138.

Second Lateran Council

By the Second Lateran council of 1139, at which Roger II of Sicily (1130–54), Innocent II's most uncompromising foe, was excommunicated, peace was at last restored to the Church. The remaining years of this Pope's life were almost as barren of permanent results as the first had been; his efforts to undo the mischief wrought in Rome by the long schism were almost entirely neutralized by a struggle with the town of Tivoli in which he became involved, and by a quarrel with Louis VII of France (1137–80), in the course of which that kingdom was laid under an interdict.

Treaty of Mignano

In 1143, Innocent refused to recognise the Treaty of Mignano with Roger of Sicily, who sent Robert of Selby to march on papal Benevento. Mignano was recognised. Innocent II died on September 24, 1143 and was succeeded by Pope Celestine II (1143–44). The doctrinal questions in which he was called on to decide were those connected with the opinions of Pierre Abélard and Arnold of Brescia.

The Historia Compostellana, composed in Galicia (Spain) for the bishop of Santiago de Compostela, provides information on the details of the disputed election of 1130.

References