GELASIO II, POPE. — Giovanni di Gaeta, son of Crescenzo, duke of Fondi, was educated at Montecassino and became a monk there. About 1082 he was made cardinal of S. Maria in Cosmedin and then, in 1089, chancellor by Urbano II (1188–99), archdeacon and librarian of the Holy Roman Church by Pasquale II (1099–1118), at whose side he remained even in the harshest moments of the struggle against Enrico V: he was one of the sixteen cardinals taken prisoner by him in the coup of 13 February 1111. Three days after the death of Pasquale II, he was elected to succeed him (24 January 1118).
On the same day he was arrested by Cencio Frangipani, but was immediately freed by the people; before his consecration, Enrico V arrived in Rome. G. fled to Gaeta and, despite the threats and promises of Enrico V, had himself ordained priest and then consecrated pope (9–10 March). Enrico V set against him Burdino, archbishop of Braga, under the name of Gregorio VIII, whom on 7 April G. II excommunicated together with Enrico V at a synod held in Capua. Once the excommunication had been promulgated, Germany immediately began to stir against the Emperor, who was obliged to hasten there. On 3 July G. returned to Rome. Driven out once more by the Frangipani (2 September 1118), he departed for France, hoping that Luigi VI might be induced to act as mediator of peace between himself and the Emperor. But during the journey he died at Cluny on 29 January 1119.