The October 1187 papal election (held October 21) was convoked after the death of Pope Urban III. He and the papal court had escaped from the imperial blockade of Verona only the month before, and had taken refuge in Ferrara.Watterich II, p. 682. The election, held in Ferrara the day after the pope's death, resulted in the election of Cardinal Alberto Sartori di Morra, who took the name of Gregory VIII. He was a partisan of the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, whose election delighted him. Gregory VIII reigned only two months.
Popes at Verona Lucius III was elected on 1 September 1181, but had to be consecrated and enthroned at Velletri, due to the hostility of the Romans.Jaffé, p. 432. Gregorovius, p. 609. He was only allowed back to Rome at the end of October, but in mid-March 1182, having refused to grant the consuetudines conceded by earlier popes, he was forced to retreat to Velletri.Gregorovius, p. 609 with note 2 (from Roger of Hoveden, citing Benedict of Peterborough): "grave dissidium ortum est inter Romanos et Papam Lucium super consuetudinibus quibusdam, quas praedecessores Papae Lucii facere solebant, quas Papa Lucius se nunquam facturum iuravit. Unde Romani indignati sunt it frequenter rapinas et iniquas combustiones facerunt in terra domini Papae. Dominus vero Papa, de loco in locum fugiens, castella sua et munitiones et civitates munitas adiit." In the meantime, refugees from Tusculum, which had been destroyed earlier in the century by the Roman commune, began to rebuild their fortifications. Annoyed by the challenge, the Roman commune reopened the war. Pope Lucius took the part of the Tusculans, but as the Romans had one success after another, he called for aid from the imperial Vicar in Italy, Archbishop Christian of Mainz, who managed to drive the Romans back. The Romans renewed their offensive, devastated the territory of Tusculum in April 1184, and then turned their wrath against Latium. The pope then fled to the Emperor Frederick, who was at Verona.Gregorovius, pp. 609-611. Jaffé, pp. 465-466. The pope wanted aid against the Romans, of course, but there was also the issue of the inheritance of Countess Mathilda of Tuscany, which had been willed to Saint Peter, but which was occupied by the emperor, on the grounds that it was part of the empire and Mathilda and her husbands had been his vassals. Frederick wanted the pope to preside at an imperial coronation for his son Henry.Gregorovius IV. 2, p. 611. When the pope adamantly refused, Henry invaded and ravaged the Roman campagna;"Chronicon Fossae Novae", in: Watterich II, p. 681. Gregorovius IV. 2, p. 614. Frederick besieged the pope in Verona, forbidding appeals to the pope from anyone in his domains, and obstructing appeals from elsewhere. Anyone apprehended in an attempt to reach the papal curia or returning from it was imprisoned and subjected to torture.Gervase of Canterbury and the "Gesta Trevirorum", in: Watterich II, p. 668.
Lucius died on 25 November 1185, still residing in Verona, while an angry and uncooperative emperor resided at the imperial headquarters in Pavia. The election of his successor, which was brief and unanimous,Ralph of Diceto, in: J. Watterich, Pontificum Romanorum... Vitae, p. 663. Horace Kinder Mann, The Lives of the Popes in the Early Middle Ages, Volume 10 (London: Kegan Paul 1914), pp. 286-289. took place on the next day. The successful candidate was Humbertus Crivelli, the Archbishop of Milan and Cardinal of S. Lorenzo in Damaso, " a violent and unyielding spirit, and a strong opponent of Frederick (Barbarossa)," in the words of Ferdinand Gregorovius. He took the name Urban III, and maintained all of the uncompromising policies of Lucius III.F. Gregorovius, The History of Rome in the Middle Ages Vol. IV, part 2 (London: George Bell 1896), pp. 610-612. Frederick continued his policy of blockading the pope and cardinals inside Verona into 1187."Annales Romani", in: Watterich II, p. 682: "Erat enim maxima discordia inter imperatorem Fridericum et Papam, ita ut nullo modo dicto Pape et cardinalibus et qui cum ipso erant, extra ipsam civitatem exiendi erat licentiam." Urban had reached the decision to excommunicate the emperor, for usurpation of spiritualities, but he was dissuaded by the pleas of the inhabitants of Verona.Watterich II, pp. 678, 681 (Arnold of Lübeck) Shortly after 22 September 1187, Urban and the cardinals escaped from Verona, and by 3 October had found refuge in Ferrara, where Urban died on 20 October.Jaffé, pp. 527-528.
List of participants At the death of Pope Urban III there were probably 23 cardinals.Cf. I.S. Robinson, p. 44 and 86-87; Kartusch, p. 30; Jaffé, Regesta..., p. 492–493, 528 Basing on the countersigning of the papal bulls in October 1187Jaffé, Regesta..., p. 492–493, 528 it is possible to establish that probably 13 of them participated in the election of successor of Urban III. According to the rules established by Pope Alexander III, 9 votes would be necessary to elect.
Elector Place of birth Cardinalatial title Elevated Elevator NotesHenri de Marsiac, O.Cist.Kartusch, pp. 190-196.Château de Marcy, FranceBishop of AlbanoMarch 1179Alexander III Withdrew his candidacy at the election to the papacyPaolo ScolariRomeBishop of Palestrina21, September 1179Alexander IIIArchpriest of the patriarchal Liberian Basilica; future Pope Clement III (1187–1191)Thibaud, O.S.B.Cluny FranceBishop of Ostia e Velletri1184Lucius III Alberto di Morra, C.R.Praem.BeneventoPriest of S. Lorenzo in Lucina and Chancellor of the Holy Roman Church21 December 1156Adrian IVProtopriest; elected Pope Gregory VIIIPietro de Bono, C.R.S.M.R.RomePriest of S. Susanna18 March 1166Alexander IIILaborans de PontormoPontormoPriest of S. Maria in Trastevere12 September 1173Alexander IIIMelior, O.S.B.Vall.PisaPriest of SS. Giovanni e Paolo16 March 1185Lucius IIICamerlengo of the Holy Roman ChurchAdelardo CattaneoVeronaPriest of S. Marcello16 March 1185Lucius IIIFuture bishop of Verona (1188–1214)Giacinto Bobone (Orsini)RomeDeacon of S. Maria in Cosmedin22 December 1144Lucius II Protodeacon; future Pope Celestine III (1191–1198)Graziano da PisaPisaDeacon of SS. Cosma e Damiano4 March 1178Alexander IIIOttaviano di PaoliRomeDeacon of SS. Sergio e Bacco18 December 1182Lucius IIIFuture bishop of Ostia e Velletri (1189–1206)Pietro DianiPiacenzaDeacon of S. Nicola in Carcere16 March 1185Lucius IIIRadulfus NigellusPisa or FranceDeacon of S. Giorgio in Velabro16 March 1185Lucius III
Six electors were created by Pope Lucius III, five by Pope Alexander III, one by Pope Lucius II and one by Pope Adrian IV.
Absentee cardinals Probably ten cardinals were absent:
Elector Place of birth Cardinalatial title Elevated Elevator NotesKonrad von WittelsbachBavariaBishop of Sabina and Archbishop of Mainz18 December 1165Alexander IIIprior cardinaliumJoannes Anagninus (Giovanni dei Conti di Anagni)AnagniPriest of S. Marco1158/1159Adrian IVProtopriest; future bishop of Palestrina (1190–1196)Guillaume aux Blanches MainsFrancePriest of S. Sabina and Archbishop of ReimsMarch 1179Alexander IIIMinister of State of the Kingdom of FranceRuggiero di San SeverinoSan SeverinoPriest of S. Eusebio and Archbishop of BeneventoCa. 1178-1180Alexander IIIExternal cardinalAlbino, C.R.S.F.Gaeta (?)Priest of S. Croce in GerusalemmeDecember 18, 1182Lucius IIIFuture bishop of Albano (1189–1197)PandolfoLuccaPriest of SS. XII Apostoli18 December 1182Lucius III SoffredoPistoiaDeacon of S. Maria in Via Lata18 December 1182Lucius IIIPapal legate in FranceBoboRomeDeacon of S. Angelo in Pescheria18 December 1182Lucius IIIPapal legate in France; future bishop of Porto e Santa Rufina (1189–1190)GerardoLuccaDeacon of S. Adriano18 December 1182Lucius IIIPapal VicarRolandusPisaDeacon of S. Maria in Portico16 March 1185Lucius IIIFormer bishop-elect of Dol (1177–1185)
Six absentees were created by Lucius III, three by Alexander III, and one by Adrian IV.
Death of Urban III and the election of Pope Gregory VIII
Pope Urban III died at Ferrara on 20 October 1187, grieving over the disasters in the Holy Land.Gervase of Canterbury, "Chronica", in: William Stubbs (ed.), The Chronicle of the Reigns of Stephen, Henry II, and Richard, Vol. I (London: Longman, Trübner 1879), p. 388: Interea rumor ille miserabilis de destructione scilicet orientalis ecclesiae, de civitatum captione, de captivitate regis et crucis Dominicae, in curia Romana dispersus, aures et corda cardinalium summi pontificis mira contrivit miseratione, unde dominus papa Urbanus jam senio confectus, prae nimio dolore cncomparabiliter gravatus, ad extrema perductus est. Obiit... xiiii kalendas Novembris, et Ferrariae sepultus est." On the following day thirteen cardinals who had been present in Ferrara began the proceedings to elect his successor.J.P. Migne (ed.), Patrologiae Latinae Collectio, Tomus CCII (Paris 1855), p. 1537, Pope Gregory VIII, in his electoral message, Inter Divinae Dispentionis: "Praedecessore siquidem nostro Urbano XIII Kal. Novemb. in bona confessione viam universae carnis ingresso, et tradito solemniter sepulturae, convenimus sequenti die in unum, et missa in honorem Sancti Spiritus, sicut moris est, celebrata, processimus seorsum in unum locum, nos episcopi, presbyteri et diaconi canonibus, et, postpositis diversis ecclesiasticis negotiis, et praecipue calamitatis Orientalis Ecclesiae, quae diebus illis audita fuerat, ad electionem pontificis visum est procedendum, ne, si forte dilationem acciperet, detrimentum ex tarditate per diversas partes Christiano populo proveniret." They operated according to the rules promulgated by Pope Alexander III at the Third Lateran Council in March 1179.
One of the cardinals under consideration was Henri de Marsiac, the former abbot of Clairvaux. He was aware that he did not have sufficient votes, and foreseeing and fearing the danger of dissension, he stood up and announced that, as a servant of the cross of Christ, he was prepared to preach the crusade in various kingdoms and peoples. He was obviously reacting to recent reports of disaster in the Holy Land.Watterich II, p. 684, quoting Albericus of Trois Fontaines, "Ibidem sanior pars cardinalium voluit dominum Henricum Albanensem quondam Clarevallis abbatem eligere, sed timens et praecavens dissensionis periculum prosiliit in medium, dicens: se crucis Domini servum ad praedicandam crucem per gentes et regna praeparatum.
Paolo Scolari and Alberto di Morra, the senior cardinal-priest, were also considered. Paolo Scolari was at a disadvantage because he was seriously ill at that time, and was not up to the burden, according to a remark attributed to Cardinal Henri de Marsiac.William Stubbs (ed.), Epistolae Cantuarienses (London 1865) [Chronicles and Memorials of the Reign of Richard I, Volume II (Rolls Series)], letter CXXXV, p. 108. And yet, Scolari was present and voted; he began subscribing for Gregory VIII on 31 October; and he travelled to Pisa and was elected pope on 19 December 1187. The cardinals were aware that the papal chancellor, Albert di Morra, was in great favor with the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, because he was a member of the imperial party in the curia, and because he reported to the emperor all the confidential activities of the Roman curia.Gervase of Canterbury, "Chronica", in: William Stubbs (ed.), p. 388: "Sciebant enim cardinales quod idem Albertus multam imperatoris haberet gratiam, eo quod, ipsius semper fovens partem, eidem omnia Romanae curiae revelaret secreta." But there remained only the old papal chancellor Alberto di Morra. On 21 October 1187 he was unanimously elected pope and took the name Gregory VIII.