Pope Celestine II
Pope Celestine II Latin: Caelestinus II; died 8 March 1144, born Guido di Castello, was head of a Catholic Church as well as ruler of a Papal States from 26 September 1143 to his death in 1144.
Early life
Guido di Castello, possibly the son of a local noble, Niccolo di Castello, was born either in Città di Castello, situated in Paterna Santa Felicità upon the Apennines, or at Macerata in the March of Ancona.
Guido had studied under Pierre Abélard, & eventually became a distinguished master in the schools. Eventually Guido began his career in Rome as a subdeacon in addition to a scriptor apostolicus under Pope Callixtus II. He was created Cardinal-Deacon of Santa Maria in Via Lata by Pope Honorius II in 1127; as such, he signed the papal bulls issued between 3 April 1130 and 21 December 1133. In the double papal election of 1130 he joined the obedience of Pope Innocent II. In December 1133 Innocent promoted him to the classification of Cardinal-Priest of San Marco. He signed the papal bulls as S.R.E. indignus sacerdos between 11 January 1134 and 16 May 1143. As the cardinal of San Marco's, he supported Innocent's claims with regards to Monte Cassino, and as a manner of his confidence in him, Innocent provided Guido the rector of Benevento. Afterwards, he submitted him a papal legate to France in 1140.
He participated in the papal election of 1143, the first undisturbed papal election that Rome had seen for eighty-two years, and was elected pope two days after the death of Innocent II, on 25 September 1143, taking the hit of Celestine.