1287–1288 papal election explained

Year:1287–88
Notconclave:true
Dates:4 April 1287 – 22 February 1288
Location:Corte Savella, Aventine Hill
Dean:Bentivenga dei Bentivenghi
Protopriest:Jean Cholet
Protodeacon:Goffredo da Alatri
Matteo Orsini Rosso
Pope Elected:Girolamo Masci
Nametaken:Nicholas IV
Prevconclave Year:1285
Prevconclave Link:1285 papal election
Nextconclave Year:1292–94
Nextconclave Link:1292–1294 papal election

The 1287–88 papal election (April 4 – February 22) was the deadliest papal election in the history of the Roman Catholic Church, with six (or five) of the sixteen (or fifteen) cardinal electors perishing during the deliberations. Eventually, the cardinals elected Girolamo Masci, O.Min. as Pope Nicholas IV, almost a year after the death of Pope Honorius IV, who died on April 3, 1287. Nicholas IV was the first Franciscan pope.[1]

The cardinals' deaths are usually attributed to malaria.[2] [3] After the deaths of the six cardinals, the remaining electors—with the exception of Masci—left Rome and reassembled on 15 February 1288.[4] When the Cardinals reassembled in February, 1288, there were seven electors left: Latino Malabranca, Bentivenga de Bentivengis, Girolamo Masci, Bernard de Languissel, Matteo Rosso Orsini, Giacomo Colonna, and Benedetto Caetani. Upon finding that Masci had remained at Santa Sabina in Rome the reassembled cardinals immediately elected him, but he refused until he was re-elected on February 22.[5] It was thought at the time that Masci had survived by keeping a fire burning in his room to "purify" the pestilential vapors, or mal aria thought to cause the disease.

The election was held near Santa Sabina on Aventine Hill in the Savelli palace, Corte Savella, which Honorius IV had built and used as the de facto papal residence.[2] [6] [7] According to Smith, Nicholas IV was, like his predecessor, "an undisguised partisan of the French interest" and "another example of the dishonest use of spiritual authority for political ends, by releasing Charles II of Naples from an inconvenient oath to Alfonso III of Aragon".[2]

Cardinal electors

ElectorNationalityOrderTitleElevatedElevatorNotes
Bentivenga da Bentivengi, O.F.M.AcquaspartaCardinal-bishopBishop of AlbanoMarch 12, 1278Nicholas IIIDean of the Sacred College of Cardinals
Major Penitentiarius
Latino Malabranca Orsini, O.P.RomanCardinal-bishopMarch 12, 1278Nicholas IIIInquisitor General of the Papal Inquisition; nephew of Pope Honorius IV
Bernard de LanguisselFrenchCardinal-bishopBishop of Porto e Santa RufinaApril 12, 1281Martin IV
Giovanni BoccamazzaRomanCardinal-bishopBishop of FrascatiDecember 22, 1285Honorius IVCardinal-nephew
Gerardo BianchiParmaCardinal-bishopBishop of SabinaMarch 12, 1278Nicholas IIISome sources indicate that he was absent[8]
Girolamo Masci, O.F.M.AscoliCardinal-bishopBishop of PalestrinaMarch 12, 1278Nicholas IIIElected Pope Nicholas IV
Jean CholetFrenchCardinal-priestTitle of S. CeciliaApril 12, 1281Martin IVProtopriest
Matteo Rosso OrsiniRomanCardinal-deaconDeacon of S. Maria in PorticoMay 22, 1262Urban IVProtodeacon after the death of Goffredo da Alatri; archpriest of the Vatican Basilica since 1278; cardinal-protector of the Order of Franciscans
Giacomo ColonnaRomanCardinal-deaconDeacon of S. Maria in Via LataMarch 12, 1278Nicholas IIIArchpriest of the Liberian Basilica
Benedetto Caetani, senioreAnagniCardinal-deaconDeacon of S. Nicola in Carcere TullianoApril 12, 1281Martin IVFuture Pope Boniface VIII
Goffredo da AlatriAlatriCardinal-deaconDeacon of S. Giorgio in VelabroDecember 17, 1261Urban IVProtodeacon
Died in 1287, possibly during the sede vacante after April 3, 1287[9]
Giordano OrsiniRomanCardinal-deaconDeacon of S. EustachioMarch 12, 1278Nicholas IIIDied during the sede vacante on September 8, 1287
Hugh of EveshamEnglishCardinal-priestTitle of S. Lorenzo in LucinaApril 12, 1281Martin IVDied during the sede vacante on September 4, 1287
Gervais Jeancolet de ClinchampFrenchCardinal-priestTitle of Ss. Silvestro e Martino ai MontiApril 12, 1281Martin IVDied during the sede vacante on September 15, 1287
Glusiano de CasateMilaneseCardinal-priestTitle of Ss. Marcellino e PietroApril 12, 1281Martin IVDied during the sede vacante on April 8, 1287
Geoffroy de BarFrenchCardinal-priestTitle of S. SusannaApril 12, 1281Martin IVDied during the sede vacante on August 21, 1287

References

Notes and References

  1. Miranda, Salvador. 1998. "Papal elections and conclaves of the 13th Century (1216-1294)."
  2. Smith, 1892, p. 93.
  3. Darras et al. (1898: 413) instead attribute them to the Black Death, though in fact this was not to reach Europe for another 60 years.
  4. Pope Nicholas IV.
  5. Brooke, 2006, p. 440.
  6. Bagliani and Peterson, 2000, p. 176.
  7. Walsh, 2003, p. 88.
  8. According to Dizionario biografico dei Parmigiani he served as papal legate in the Kingdom of Sicily from 1282 until 1289 and did not participate in the papal elections in 1285 and 1287-88. S. Miranda in biographical entry of Gerardo Bianchi says that he participated in this election but gives this information with a question mark.
  9. Exact date of his death is unknown. S. Miranda in the biographical entry of this cardinal says that he died before the death of Honorius IV on April 3, 1287 but in the notes to the papal election of 1287-88 includes him among cardinals who died during sede vacante