1216 papal election
1216 CE.
Shown on the map at 42.956°, 12.704°.
The 1216 papal election was convoked in Perugia on 18 July 1216 following the death of Pope Innocent III two days earlier. The troubled social and political climate in Italy, including the threat of schism and foreign invasions, led the assembled cardinals to adopt the procedure of compromissum, delegating the election to a committee of cardinal-bishops. The committee, which included Ugolino di Segni (later Pope Gregory IX) and Guido Papareschi, elected Cencio Savelli, aged 68, who took the name Honorius III. Honorius III was both a Roman native and renowned for his diplomatic skills, which would prove essential for navigating the papacy through contemporary challenges such as the Fifth Crusade and ongoing disputes with secular powers. Seventeen cardinals participated in the election, while eight were absent, including several notable legates active in European affairs. The swift and nearly unanimous outcome of the election was achieved amid uncertainty regarding external pressures and the need for unity during a critical period of Church history.
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