The
Papacy - A Historical Perspective
1143-1154 A.D.
Celestine II : 1143-1144 A.D.
165. Born in Citta di Castello. Elected October 3, 114 - died March
8, 1144.
With the aid of St. Bernard, he
settled the internal
disputes of the
Church. He tried to stop the war between Scotland and England, but did
not succeed in obtaining peace in Italy
. He withdrew the excommunication of Louis VII, King of France.
Platina says he was the first Pope to be elected without the
participation of the people.
The so-called "St. Malachi's prophecies", by the archbishop of
Annagh in Ireland, date
back to this period.
He is buried in the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano.
His pontificate lasted about 5 months.
Lucius II : 1144-1145 A.D.
166. Born in Bologna. Elected March 12, 1144 - died February 15,
1145.
He came to the papal seat in a period
of turmoil caused by
Arnaldo of
Brescia.
His pontificate was characterised by two events: Portugal was
conquered by Henry of Burgundy, who defeated the Arabs, and was
transformed into a kingdom and proclaimed vessel territory of the
Church by Alphonse I and the creation of the communes allover Italy,
an historical event of great importance.
The creation of the so-called communes marked the end of the
Middle Ages.
While he was trying to settle a serious popular turmoil he was hit
by a stone and died.
He is buried in San Giovanni in Laterano.
His pontificate lasted about 11 months.
Bl. Eugene III : 1145-1153 A.D.
167. Born in Montemagro (Pisa). Elected February 8, 1145 - died July
8, 1153.
He was forced to leave Rome a couple
of times. He gave way to the already proclaimed 2nd Crusade.
He established the Sacred College.
He started the building of the "Pontifical Palace". He accepted the
Knights of St. John of Jerusalem (of Malta).
He refused to accept to his court the youths who paid too much
attention to their curly hair.
Eugene III used to wear a woolen frock and the cilice and slept
on the ground.
He was the first to talk about pontifical vacations and had a
palace built
in Segni.
He is buried in the Vatican Grottoes. Eugene, whose pontificate
lasted 8 years and 5 months, was beatified by the Church.
His beatification was confinned on October 3rd, 1872.
Anastasius IV : 1153-1154 A.D.
168. Born in Rome. Elected July 12, 1153 - died December 3,1154.
He was elected Pope when he was already
old. In the same year of his election, St. Bernard of Chiaravalle died.
Carindal Brek-Pear was his councillor, who afterwards became Hadrian
IV.
Thanks to the mildness of his attitude, he succeeded in restoring
peace in the temporal dominions of
the Church.
When Rome was hit by a serious famine, he was called the
"Father of Rome and the Apostle of Charity".
People say that his mortal remains were put in the urn where St.
Helen was resting.
He is buried in the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano.
His pontificate lasted about 1 year and 5 months.
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Index of Roman
Pontiffs
Introduction
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