Pope Celestine II (Latin: Caelestinus II; died 8 March 1144), born Guido di Castello,[1] was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 26 September 1143[2] to his death in 1144.
He participated in the papal election of 1143, the first undisturbed papal election that Rome had seen for eighty-two years,[8] and was elected pope two days after the death of Innocent II,[9] on 25 September 1143,[1] taking the name of Celestine.[8]
Papacy
Celestine II governed the Catholic Church for only five months and thirteen days from his election until his death on 8 March 1144. Upon his accession he wrote to Peter the Venerable and the monks of Cluny, asking them to pray for him, while he was congratulated by Arnulf of Lisieux.[10] Regardless of the brevity of his reign, he was prepared to chart a very different course from that of his predecessor. He was opposed to Innocent II's concessions to King Roger II of Sicily[11] and refused to ratify the Treaty of Mignano ("a foolish policy, which he survived – just – long enough to regret"[12]). He was in favor of the Plantagenets' claim to the English throne, and was therefore opposed to King Stephen of England. To emphasise this shift, he refused to renew the legatine authority that Innocent II had granted to King Stephen's brother, Henry of Blois.[11] Celestine also favored the Templars, ordering a general collection for them, as well as the Hospitallers, giving them control of the hospital of Saint Mary Teutonicorum in Jerusalem.[13]
The principal act of his papacy was the absolution of Louis VII of France.[11] King Louis had refused to accept the nomination of Pierre de la Chatre as the archbishop of Bourges, who went to see Innocent II to have his nomination confirmed.[14] When Pierre returned to France in 1142, Louis refused him permission to enter his episcopal city, causing Pierre to flee to the court of Count Theobald II of Champagne. Innocent responded by placing France under an interdict.[14] For two years, the various parties remained at loggerheads while Bernard of Clairvaux attempted to mediate the dispute.[15] With the election of Celestine, both Bernard and Theobald appealed to the pope, while Louis sent ambassadors to have the interdict lifted.[16] Louis agreed to accept Pierre as the legitimate archbishop of Bourges, and in return, Celestine removed the sentence of interdict.[13]
Celestine died on 8 March 1144[1] in the monastery of Saint Sebastian on the Palatine hill and was buried in the south transept of the Lateran.[13] Celestine's heraldic badge was a lozengy shield of argent and gules.[9]
^According to Mann (pg. 104), there is a local tradition that Celestine II, when he became pope, presented the cathedral in Città di Castello with a sculptured silver altar-front.
^J.M.Brixius, Die Mitglieder des Kardinalkollegiums von 1130–1181, Berlin, 1912, p. 35 no. 19
^J.M.Brixius, Die Mitglieder des Kardinalkollegiums von 1130–1181, Berlin, 1912, p. 35 no. 19 and p. 43 no. 23, indicates that Guido del Castello and Guido S.R.E. indignus sacerdos were two different persons; but see L. Spätling, Kardinal Guido und seine Legation in Böhmen-Mähren (1142–1146) in: Mitteilungen des Instituts für österreichische Geschichtsforschung, Wagner'sche Universitäts-buchhandlung, 1958, p. 310
