Pope Gelasius II

Gelasius II (* 1060/1064; † January 29, 1119 in Cluny ) was from 1118 until his death Pope. Its name means " the Joyous " (Greek )

Gelasius II, who was called by Christian names John of Gaeta, was elected on January 24, 1118 as the successor of Pope Paschal II, without the excommunicated Emperor Henry V would have been included in the electoral process. Before his pontificate he was a monk at Montecassino, from August 23, 1088 subdeacon and Prosignator, from July 1, 1089 Chancellor of the papal chancery, cardinal deacon of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, from 1116 back to Montecassino.

The Emperor immediately rushed to Rome to exercise his rights, but Gelasius II fled to his hometown of Gaeta, where he received the papal consecrations on 10 March 1118. In turn, Henry V had the Cluniac Maurice Bourdin as Gregory VIII crowned pope.

As a result, no particular agreement did not materialize with the Emperor, on the Investiture Controversy located at that time at its height. Gelasius was therefore in 1118 at the Synod in Fritzlar confirm and renew the pronounced by his predecessor Henry's spell.

Gelasius II died on January 29, 1119 after only one year of pontificate in Cluny.