1216 papal election
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The 1216 papal election was convoked in Perugia on 18 July 1216 following the death of Pope Innocent III two days earlier.[1] The troubled social and political climate in Italy, including the threat of schism and foreign invasions, led the assembled cardinals to adopt the procedure of compromissum, delegating the election to a committee of cardinal-bishops.[2][3]
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| Papal election 1216 | |
|---|---|
| Dates and location | |
| 18 July 1216 Perugia | |
| Key officials | |
| Dean | Nicola de Romanis |
| Camerlengo | Stefano di Ceccano |
| Protopriest | Cinzio Cenci |
| Protodeacon | Guido Pierleone |
| Elected pope | |
| Cencio Savelli Name taken: Honorius III | |
| |
The committee, which included Ugolino di Segni (later Pope Gregory IX) and Guido Papareschi, elected Cencio Savelli, aged 68, who took the name Honorius III.[1][2][4] Honorius III was both a Roman native and renowned for his diplomatic skills, which would prove essential for navigating the papacy through contemporary challenges such as the Fifth Crusade and ongoing disputes with secular powers.[5][6]
Seventeen cardinals participated in the election, while eight were absent, including several notable legates active in European affairs.[1] The swift and nearly unanimous outcome of the election was achieved amid uncertainty regarding external pressures and the need for unity during a critical period of Church history.[3]
List of participants
There were 25 cardinals in the College of Cardinals in July 1216, including 23 curial cardinals and two "external cardinals", who did not reside in the papal curia[7] It is known that 17 of them participated in the election:[8]
| Elector | Title | Elevated | Elevator | Other ecclesiastical titles | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicola de Romanis | Bishop of Frascati | 18 December 1204 | Innocent III | Dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals | |
| Ugolino di Segni | Bishop of Ostia e Velletri | 19 December 1198 | Innocent III | Committee member; cardinal-nephew; future Pope Gregory IX | |
| Guido Papareschi | Bishop of Palestrina | 22 September 1190 | Clement III | Committee member | |
| Pelagio Galvani | Bishop of Albano | ca. 1206/1207 | Innocent III | ||
| Cinzio Cenci | Priest of S. Lorenzo in Lucina | 22 September 1190 | Clement III | Protopriest | |
| Cencio | Priest of SS. Giovanni e Paolo | 20 February 1193 | Celestine III | Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals | Elected Pope Honorius III; possibly of Savelli family |
| Giovanni Colonna di Carbognano | Deacon of SS. Cosma e Damiano | 27 May 1206 | Innocent III | ||
| Gregorio Gualgano | Priest of S. Anastasia | 27 May 1206 | Innocent III | ||
| Robert of Courson | Priest of S. Stefano al Monte Celio | 19 May 1212 | Innocent III | ||
| Peter of Benevento | Priest of S. Lorenzo in Damaso | 19 May 1212 | Innocent III | His name is often erroneously listed as Pierre Duacensis[9] | |
| Stefano di Ceccano, O.Cist. | Priest of SS. XII Apostoli | 13 April 1213 | Innocent III | Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church | |
| Tommaso da Capua | Priest of S. Sabina | 5 March 1216 | Innocent III | Vice-Chancellor of the Holy Roman Church | |
| Guido Pierleone | Deacon of S. Nicola in Carcere Tulliano | 18 December 1204 | Innocent III | Protodeacon; Archpriest of the patriarchal Vatican Basilica | |
| Ottaviano dei conti di Segni | Deacon of SS. Sergio e Bacco | 27 May 1206 | Innocent III | Cardinal-nephew | |
| Gregorio Crescenzi | Deacon of S. Teodoro | 5 March 1216 | Innocent III | ||
| Romano Bonaventura | Deacon of S. Maria in Portico | 5 March 1216 | Innocent III | ||
| Stefano de Normandis dei Conti | Deacon of S. Adriano | 5 March 1216 | Innocent III | Cardinal-nephew |
Absentee cardinals
Eight cardinals, including six curial and two "external cardinals", were absent:
| Elector | Cardinalatial title | Elevated | Elevator | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benedetto | Bishop of Porto e Santa Rufina | 3 June 1200 | Innocent III | |
| Ruggiero di San Severino | Cardinal Priest of S. Eusebio | ca. 1178/80 | Alexander III | Archbishop of Benevento 1179-1221 ("external" cardinal) |
| Leone Brancaleone, C.R.S.F. | Priest of S. Croce in Gerusalemme | 3 June 1200 | Innocent III | Papal legate in Lombardy |
| Guala Bicchieri | Priest of SS. Silvestro e Martino ai Monti | 18 December 1204 | Innocent III | Papal legate in England |
| Stephen Langton | S.R.E. cardinalis | 27 May 1206 | Innocent III | Archbishop of Canterbury 1207-1228; resigned this titulus S,. Crisogono after episcopal consecration in 1207; "external" cardinal |
| Pietro Sasso | Priest of S. Pudenziana | 27 May 1206 | Innocent III | Archpriest of the patriarchal Liberian Basilica; papal legate in Germany |
| Bertrannus | Deacon of S. Giorgio in Velabro | 19 May 1212 | Innocent III | |
| Rainiero Capocci, O.Cist. | Deacon of S. Maria in Cosmedin | 5 March 1216 | Innocent III | Papal legate in Lombardy |
Election of Pope Honorius III
The cardinals assembled in Perugia two days after the death of Innocent III. They deliberated in the enclosure,[10] though it is not certain whether voluntarily or under pressure of the local authorities.[11] They decided to elect the new Pope by compromissum, it means, not by the whole Sacred College, but by the committee of few of them, empowered by the rest to appoint the new Pontiff. This time the committee included only two cardinal-bishops: Ugolino of Ostia and Guido of Palestrina.[12] On that same day, they elected Cardinal Cencio, called Camerario, aged 68, who accepted his election and took the name of Honorius III.
