The 1099 papal election following the death of Pope Urban II took place on 13 August 1099. Before his death, Urban had designated Cardinal Rainerius da Bieda as his successor. The cardinal-electors, with the consent of the lower Roman clergy, chose Rainerius, who, after a flight and over his considerable objections, accepted and took the name Paschal II. He was consecrated a bishop and crowned pope on the next day.
Death of Urban II
On 7 August 1098, the supporters of the antipope Clement III (Wibert of Ravenna) were still able to hold a synod in Santa Maria Rotunda.[1]
On 24 August 1098, Petrus Leonis was able to seize the Castel S. Angelo and drive the last forces of Emperor Henry IV from Rome.[2] Pope Urban was able to return to Rome in November 1098.[3] He summoned a church council, which met in S. Peter's Basilica from 24–30 April 1099; it confirmed the acts of the councils of Melfi and Piacenza and settled on the route by which the crusade would attack Jerusalem.[4] It was two weeks before the death of the pope, on 14 July 1099, that the soldiers of the First Crusade won Jerusalem, news of which arrived in Rome only after his death.
Before his death, Pope Urban had designated Cardinal Rainerius da Bieda to be his successor [5]
Urban II died in Rome on 29 July 1099, in the house of Petrus Leonis near the church of S. Niccolo in Carcere. The papal palace at the Lateran was in too dilapidated a state for residence.[6]
During this time, the schism initiated by Antipope Clement III, with the support of the Empire and much of the Roman clergy, continued. Wibert finally died in September 1100 at Castello near Sutri, which he still held. His followers in Rome immediately met in S. Peter's and elected Theoderic (Tiedricus), the cardinal-bishop of S. Rufina (Albano?), as his successor.[7]
Electors
It is known that cardinal-priests and cardinal-deacons participated.
Bishops
The election was attended by five of the six cardinal-bishops and one bishop, who acted as a substitute for the Cardinal-bishop of Sabina.[disputed – discuss] This office was vacant from 1094 years[clarification needed], and the territory of the Diocese of Sabina supporters controlled the antipope Clement III.
In August 1099, in obedience[clarification needed] Urban II was only ten cardinal-priests and three cardinal-deacons, but probably no more than seven cardinal-priests and three cardinal-deacons were eligible to participate in the election:[citation needed]
The cardinal-deacons present were probably the Palatine deacons, assistants to the Pope whose Cathedra is located in the Archbasilica of St John Lateran, which numbered up to six deacons. The twelve regional deacons joined the rank of cardinals only under Paschal II.[citation needed]
Following the funeral of Pope Urban, the faithful of Rome (ecclesia quae erat in Urbe) cried out for a pastor to be given them. Therefore, the cardinals and bishops, the deacons and leaders of the City (primores Urbis), the primiscrinii, and the scribes of the regions assembled at the church of S. Clemente, the titulus of Cardinal Rainerius. While the discussion turned on many matters, in due course it began to center on Rainerius himself, who, after all, had been designated by Urban II. When he realized what was happening, he was displeased and wished to avoid being chosen. He, therefore, fled and hid. This may explain in part the two-week period between the death of Pope Urban and the choice of his successor.[29]
He was found and brought to a meeting, where he told the Patres that he was unequal to the weight of the burden, to which he would succumb. He was told in reply that divine inspiration would supply him the necessary wisdom; the people of Rome were calling for a pastor, the clergy was electing him, the Patres were praising him; God would provide. "We elect and confirm you in the office of supreme pontiff."[30]
On 13 August 1099 the cardinals in the presence of the lower clergy and representatives of the city authorities unanimously elected Ranieirus, the cardinal-priest of San Clemente and abbot of the Basilica of Saint Lawrence outside the Walls, as successor to Urban II. He took the Papal name Paschal II. He was then acclaimed with the traditional formula by the primiscrinarii and regionary scribes, "Paschalem papam sanctus Petrus elegit". They then invested him with the red mantle and the papal tiara and conducted him in a joyful procession to the Lateran Basilica, where he was seated in the chair before the east portal. Various ceremonies of installation were performed, and he took possession of the papal palace.[31]
On the next day, in S. Peter's Basilica, he was consecrated Bishop of Rome by Eudes of Chatillon, Bishop of Ostia, who was assisted by other Cardinal-bishops and Offo, bishop of Nepi.[notes 3]
^Titular church unknown, believed to be Santa Cecilia[citation needed]
^Watterich II, pp. 2-3: "Die altero, mensis sexti XIV, die primo consecrandus in pontificem consecraturi pontifices cum frequentia populi plebisque basilicam beati Petri adeunt. Quorum nomina sunt haec: Oddo Ostiensis, Mauricius Portuensis, Gualterius Albanensis, Bovo Lavicanus, Milo Praenestinus, Offo Nepsinus. Et inter missarum solempnia loco et termino quo decuit manum sibi imponunt, primus in consecratione Oddo Ostiensis, qui ad hoc utitur pallio, et benedixit et linivit eum chrismate catholice. Igitur a catholicis et orthodoxis episcopis in pontificem consecratus...."
^Holder, Designation, p. 56. Ekkehard of Aura, in: Watterich I, p. 619: "Sed antequam ex hac vita migraret, spiritu instructus divino, Rainerum cardinalem de sancto Clemente, sanctae conversationis et boni testimonii abbatem, nobilem Romanum, designavit in regimen Apostolicum eligendum; quem etiam revelationibus aliis insuper denotatum, universa Romana ecclesia pastorem sibi consecrat, licet invitum, Paschalem appellans eum.
^Hüls, pp. 140-141. Bovo is known only from his presence at the consecration of Pope Paschal II.
^Hüls, p. 99. Offo is only mentioned in connection with the consecration of Pope Paschal II on 14 August 1099. He also subscribed a papal document on 11 May 1112: "Ego Offo sanctę Nepsinę ecclesię episcopus ss." He was the only bishop present.
^Hüls, p. 234-235. His earliest documentation is dated 12 November 1099, three months after the election.
^Klaus Ganzer (1963). Die Entwicklung des auswärtigen Kardinalats im hohen Mittelalter. Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte des Kardinalkollegiums vom 11.bis 13. Jahrhundert. Bibliothek des Deutschen Historischen Instituts in Rom (in German). Tübingen: Max Niemeyer Verlag. pp. 57–62.
^Hüls, pp. 251-252. Klaus Ganzer (1963). Die Entwicklung des auswärtigen Kardinalats im hohen Mittelalter. Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte des Kardinalkollegiums vom 11.bis 13. Jahrhundert. Bibliothek des Deutschen Historischen Instituts in Rom (in German). Tübingen: Max Niemeyer Verlag. pp. 43–45.
^Waatterich II, p. 1, from "Paschalis II vita", attributed to Petrus Pisanus, but probably the work of Pandulfus Pisanus. Stefania Anzoise (2015), "Pandolfo da Alatri."(in Italian), Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani. Volume 80 (2015).
^Watterich II, p. 2: "...divinitus hic oncgregati in nomine Domini te ad summi pontificatus apicem et eligimus et confirmamus."
^Watterich II, p. 2: "in patriarchale ascendens palatium ad duas curules devenit."
Sources
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Gregorovius, Ferdinand (1896). History of Rome in the Middle Ages. Volume IV, Part I. Volume IV, Part II. second edition, revised (London: George Bell, 1896).
Holder, Karl (1892). Die Designation der Nachfolger durch die Päpste. (in German) Freiburg: Weith.
Huls, Rudolf, Kardinal, Klerus und Kirchen Roms: 1049-1130(in German). Tübingen 1977.
Jaffé, Philipp, Regesta Pontificum Romanorum ab condita ecclesia ad annum p. Chr. n. 1198(in Latin); 2nd ed. by S. Löwenfeld, F. Kaltenbrunner, P. Ewald Vol 1. Leipzig, 1888.
Klewitz, Hans Walter, Reformpapsttum und Kardinalkolleg(in German). Darmstadt 1957.
Loughlin, James F. (1911). Pope Paschal II, The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 11. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. (last accessed 18 November 2021).
