VICTOR IV, Antipope. - Elected by the supporters of the antipope Anacletus II (v.) around the middle of March 1138, he was nicknamed by the Romans in derision "carnecorium" or "carnicorvum."

His name was Gregory (his belonging to the Conti family is not proven) and he had been created cardinal priest of the SS. Apostoli by Callixtus II in Dec. 1122. In 1130 he was one of the electors of Anacletus II. No documents issued during his very brief pseudopontificate are known; it ended on 29 May 1138 through the efforts of St. Bernard, who accompanied him to the feet of Innocent II (v.) together with his supporters (cf. Ep. 317 of St. Bernard: PL 182, 523). Innocent granted everyone the pardon they sought and promised to maintain V. IV and the other cardinals in their dignity, except that at the Second Lateran Council (Apr. 1139) he deposed him just like all the other Anacletians, arousing the protests of St. Bernard, the champion of reconciliation (cf. Ep. 213: PL 182, 378). After that nothing more is known of Cardinal Gregory.

Bibliography6 works

BIBL.: Lib. Pont., II, p. 383 (vita di Innocenzo II del card. Bosone); Mansi, XXI, col. 525 (chronicae di Morigny); J. M. Watterich, Pontificum Roman... Vitae, II, Lipsia 1862, p. 178; Jaffé-Wattenbach, I, p. 919; Hefele-Leclercq, V, 1 (1912), pp. 721-724, 733; P. F. Palumbo, Lo scisma del MCXXX..., Roma 1942, pp. 588-89, 591-94.

A. Pietro Fruta

@incollection{ec12_vittore_iv_antipapa, author = {Frutaz, Amato Pietro}, title = {Vittore IV, antipapa}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {XII}, pages = {1543}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1954}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/vittore-iv-antipapa} }

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Victor IV, Antipope

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