Pope Anastasius IV (c. 1073[1] – 3 December 1154), born Corrado Demetri della Suburra, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 July 1153[2] to his death in 1154. He is the most recent pope to take the name "Anastasius" upon his election.
Early life
He was a Roman, son of Benedictus de Suburra, probably of the family of Demetri,[3] and became a secular clerk.[4] He was created cardinal-priest of S. Pudenziana by Pope Paschal II no later than in 1114.[5] In 1127 or 1128, Pope Honorius II[6] promoted him to the suburbicarian See of Sabina.[7] He was probably given this position for siding with Honorius II during a dispute over the appointment of a new abbot of Farfa.[8] He had taken part in the double papal election of 1130, had been one of the most determined opponents of Antipope Anacletus II and, when Pope Innocent II fled to France, had been left behind as his vicar in Italy. At the time of his election to the papacy in July 1153, he was Dean of the College of Cardinals and probably the oldest member of that body.[9]
Pontificate
During his short pontificate, he played the part of a peacemaker; he came to terms with the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in the vexing question of the appointment to the See of Magdeburg and closed the long quarrel, which had raged through four pontificates, about the appointment of William Fitzherbert (commonly known as Saint William of York) to the see of York by sending him the pallium in spite of the continued opposition of the powerful Cistercian order. Anastasius IV also devoted much time and expenses on the Lateran Basilica and Palace back at Rome.[8]
Anastasius IV died on 3 December 1154 and was succeeded by Cardinal Nicholas Breakspear as Pope Adrian IV.[10] Anastasius IV was laid to rest within the Helena sarcophagus which was brought out and reused as his tomb.[8]
^Tillmann, H. (1972). "Ricerche sull'origine dei membri del collegio cardinalizio nel XII secolo". RSC. 26: 313–353 [p. 328].
^According to older historiography (incl. Klewitz, p. 128 and 220) he was abbot of the Augustinian monastery of St.-Ruf at Avignon, but this view has been recently abandoned (see I.S.Robinson, p. 73)
^H.W.Klewitz, p. 128 no. 31; Brixius, p. 36 no. 26. His first subscription of the papal bulls took place on 25 February 1114 (Jaffé, p. 478)
^Anastasius IV is sometimes referred to as a nephew of Honorius II, but this is not proven and is very unlikely; Anastasius IV came from Roman aristocracy, while Honorius II was a Bolognese. Brixius, p. 78 rejects the statement about relationship between Anastasius and Honorius as without foundation and adds that it appears for the first time in the 16th century. Hans Walter Klewitz and Helene Tillmann, who have made an extensive study about the origins of the cardinals of the beginning of the 12th century, either deny or do not mention this relationship.
^First subscription as cardinal-bishop on 7 May 1128 (Jaffé, p. 549)
^ abcMatthews, Rupert (2013). The Popes: Every Question Answered. New York: Metro Books. p. 158. ISBN978-1-4351-4571-9.
Klewitz, Hans Walter (1957). Reformpapsttum und Kardinalskolleg. Darmstadt. pp. 128 no. 31 and p. 220.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
Brixius, Johannes M. (1912). Die Mitglieder des Kardinalkollegiums von 1130–1181. Berlin.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
Robinson, Ian Stuart (1990). The Papacy, 1073–1198: Continuity and Innovation. New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN978-0521264983.
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