1277 papal election explained

Year:1277
Notconclave:true
Dates:30 May – 25 November 1277
Location:Palazzo dei Papi di Viterbo
Dean:Bertrand de Saint-Martin
Camerlengo:Guillaume de Bray
Protopriest:Anchero Pantaleone
Protodeacon:Giovanni Gaetano Orsini
Pope Elected:Giovanni Gaetano Orsini
Nametaken:Nicholas III
Prevconclave Year:September, 1276
Prevconclave Link:September 1276 papal election
Nextconclave Year:1280–81
Nextconclave Link:1280–1281 papal election

The 1277 papal election (May 30 – November 25), convened in Viterbo after the death of Pope John XXI, was the smallest papal election since the expansion of suffrage to cardinal-priests and cardinal-deacons, with only seven cardinal electors (following the deaths of three popes who had not created cardinals).[1] Because John XXI had revoked Ubi periculum, the papal bull of Pope Gregory X establishing the papal conclave, with his own bull Licet felicis recordationis, the cardinal electors were able to take their time. After six months of deliberation, the cardinals eventually elected their most senior member Giovanni Gaetano Orsini as Pope Nicholas III. From the end of the election until Nicholas III's first consistory on March 12, 1278, the number of living cardinals - seven - was the lowest in the history of the Roman Catholic Church.[1]

Cardinal electors

The seven cardinal electors were evenly divided between three supporters of Charles of Anjou and three cardinals from prominent Roman families, who opposed the interests of Charles in Italy, and there was one uncommitted cardinal.[2] [3]

ElectorNationalityFactionOrder and TitleElevatedElevatorNotes
Bertrand de Saint-MartinFrenchneutralCardinal-bishop of Sabina1273, June 3Gregory XDean of the College of Cardinals
Anchero PantaleoneFrenchAngevinCardinal-priest of S. Prassede1262, May 22Urban IVCardinal primoprete; Cardinal-nephew
Guillaume de BrayFrenchAngevinCardinal-priest of S. Marco1262, May 22Urban IVCamerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals
Giovanni Gaetano OrsiniRomanRomanCardinal-deacon of S. Nicola in Carcere Tulliano1244, May 28Innocent IVProtodeacon, archpriest of the patriarchal Vatican Basilica, Inquisitor General,
and Protector of the Order of Franciscans; Elected Pope Nicholas III
Giacomo SavelliRomanRomanCardinal-deacon of S. Maria in Cosmedin1261, December 17Urban IVFuture Pope Honorius IV
Goffredo da AlatriItalianAngevinCardinal-deacon of S. Giorgio in Velabro1261, December 17Urban IV
Matteo Rosso OrsiniRomanRomanCardinal-deacon of S. Maria in Portico1262, May 22Urban IVNephew of Giovanni Orsini

Absentee cardinal

Procedure

Initially, the cardinals met only once a day for balloting and returned to their respective habitations after the scrutinies.[4] For two months, voting proceeded uneventfully along national lines with the French[5] and Roman cardinals evenly divided.[4]

After six months the impatient magistrates of Viterbo locked the cardinals in the town hall (once elected, Nicholas III moved the papacy back to Rome).[6]

Sources

Notes and References

  1. Miranda, Salvator. 1998. "Papal elections and conclaves of the 13th Century (1216–1294)." But see correction offered by John Adams Sede Vacante 1277; accessed March 13, 2010; concerning Bertrand de Saint-Martin
  2. Medley, D.J. 2004. The Church and the Empire. Kessinger Publishing. . p. 171.
  3. Pham, John-Peter. 2004. Heirs of the Fisherman: Behind the Scenes of Papal Death and Succession. Oxford University Press. . p. 24.
  4. Bower, 1766, p. 307.
  5. Cardinal da Alatri, the only non-Roman Italian Cardinal, voted together with French, while Bertrand of Sabina assumed neutral attitude.
  6. Smith, Philip. 1885. The History of the Christian Church During the Middle Ages. Harper & Bros. p. 92.