Lentorama 2025: Perfunctory Popes

Day 20: Celestine II

Guido di Castello was born to a noble Italian family, studied with Peter Abelard, and entered the church after some time as a school master. He rose through a variety of positions, was made a cardinal, and backed Innocent II in the double election of 1130. 

Backing Innocent paid off, as Guido was elected to succeed him in 1143. He started to chart a different course from Innocent, reversing some of his diplomatic decisions while also showing support for groups like the Templars and the Hospitallers. His most notable achievement was ending the conflict with Louis VII of France, who got the entire country put under an interdict by Innocent after Louis refused to let the new archbishop of Bourges enter the city.

Celestine died less than six months after being elected. It's worth noting that he wasn't actually the first Celestine II. In 1124, Teobaldo Boccapecci was elected pope and took the name Celestine II, but he resigned the following day when supporters of the Holy Roman Empire stormed his investiture and tried to name someone else as pope. Boccapecci was injured in the fracas, and there's some thought that he died shortly afterwards, which would be fitting for this series.

For the more conspiratorially-minded, Celestine II is the first pope mentioned in the Prophecy of the Popes, a list allegedly drawn up by Saint Malachy in the 12th century that predicted all the future popes up to "Peter the Roman," who will be pope when the city of Rome is destroyed.