Pope Gelasius II
Gelasius II (Giovanni Coniulo), pope from January 24, 1118 to January 29, 1119, was born at Gaeta[?] of an illustrious family.
He became a monk of Monte Cassino, was taken to Rome
by Pope Urban II, and made chancellor and
cardinal-deacon of Santa Maria in Cosmedin. Shortly after his
unanimous election to succeed Pope Paschal II he was
seized by Cencius Frangipanč, a partisan of the emperor
Henry V., but
freed by a general uprising of
the Romans in his behalf. The emperor drove Gelasius from
Rome in March, pronounced his election null and
void, and set up Burdinus, archbishop of Braga, as antipope
under the name of Gregory VIII[?].
Gelasius fled
to Gaeta[?], where he was ordained priest on the 9th of March and
on the following day received episcopal consecration. He at once
excommunicated Henry and the antipope and, under Norman protection,
was able to return to Rome in July; but the disturbances of the
imperialist party, especially of the Frangipani[?], who attacked
the pope while celebrating mass in the church of St Prassede, compelled
Gelasius to go once more into exile. He set out for France, consecrating
the cathedral of Pisa on the way, and arrived at Marseilles in
October. He was received with great enthusiasm at Avignon,
Montpellier and other cities, held a synod at Vienne in January
1119, and was planning to hold a general council to settle the investiture
contest when he died at Cluny.
This article was originally based on content from a 1911 encyclopedia. Update as needed.