LUCIO II, POPE. — Gherardo Caccianemici, born in Bologna, died in Rome on 15 February 1145. A canon regular, he was created cardinal by Honorius II and served as his legate at the Diet of Mainz (August 1125), where Lothair of Supplinburg was elected emperor. He restored and embellished the church of Santa Croce, which was his titular church. Innocent II appointed him chancellor of the Roman Church. Elected to succeed Celestine II, he was consecrated on 12 March 1144 under the name Lucius II. During the few months of his pontificate, he had to contend with the rebellious Roman citizenry, which, seeking to expand its power, had revived the Senate, placing at its head a patrician in the person of Giordano Pierleoni, brother of the deceased antipope Anacletus II, with the authority of prince over the city.
To recover his authority, the Pope, overcoming various difficulties, managed to reach an understanding with the Norman Roger II, king of Sicily, and also turned to Conrad of Hohenstaufen for aid, which was not granted. Then, with the forces that remained loyal to him and reinforcements obtained from the King of Sicily and the feudal lords of Lazio, at the beginning of 1145 he attacked the Capitoline Hill, the stronghold of his enemies. But the assault was repulsed, and the Pope died shortly afterward in the monastery of San Gregorio al Celio, apparently as a result of a blow from a stone received during the conflict.
Lucius II confirmed at the Roman Synod of May 1144 the metropolitan authority of the see of Tours against the bishop of Dol and recognized the primatial dignity of the archbishop of Toledo over Spain and Portugal. He accepted the homage of King Afonso Henriques, who declared Portugal a vassal of the Holy See, obliging himself to pay tribute.