CELESTINO II, PAPA, ELETTO

CELESTINE II, POPE, elected. — Teobaldo Baccapccus or Buccapecorini, of a Roman family that had risen to some prominence at the end of the 11th century, was cardinal priest of S. Anastasia when he took part, on 16 December 1124, in the election of a successor following the death of Callistus II. In the sharp division of opinion, aggravated by the threats of the Frangipane faction, the majority’s candidate, Cardinal Sasso of Anagni, was rejected because he was hated by them; the votes then turned to Teobaldo. Already the electors were clothing him in the red cope and the Te Deum was being sung, when Robert Frangipane burst into the chapel of S. Pancrazio at the Lateran where the election was taking place and had his supporters acclaim as pope Lamberto, cardinal of Ostia. Fears of party strife and violence were justified, but the elderly and already reluctant Teobaldo—who had already assumed the name of Celestine—wished to avoid, by his renunciation, the schism that was already taking shape and which would later erupt in all its violence at the death of Honorius II. Teobaldo died, it seems, even before the pontificate of his rival had begun.