Council of Pisa (1135)
Template:Short description Template:Use shortened footnotes The Council of Pisa, was convened by Pope Innocent II in May 1135. An extraordinary number of prelates, archbishops, bishops, monks, and abbots attended the council, including a large number of Italian clergy. The council addressed simony, schismatic clerics, heresy, as well as donations to the Templar Order. Pisa would be the third council Innocent would convene to address issues within the Catholic Church.
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Background
In February 1130, following the death of Pope Honorius II, the papal chancellor Haimeric, directing a committee of six cardinals, swiftly elected Gregorio Papareschi as Pope Innocent II.Template:Sfn This was contested by the Roman Pierleoni family that chose Anacletus II. Without any Roman support Innocent fled to France,Template:Sfn where he gained the support of Louis VI of France, Bernard of Clairvaux, and Peter the Venerable.Template:Sfn While in France he held two Councils, Clermont (November 1130) and Rheims (October 1131).Template:Sfn In June 1133, Innocent returned to Rome to quickly crown Lothair of Saxony emperor, but following Lothair's hurried exit from Rome he fled to Pisa.Template:Sfn
The council was initially planned for November 1135, but Bernard who attended the diet of Bamberg(March 1135), learned that Emperor Lothair was planning an invasion of Italy.Template:Sfn Reinforced by this news, Innocent chose May 1135 for the synod.Template:Sfn
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Council
One hundred twenty-six archbishops and bishops, and numerous abbots from Italy, Germany, France, England, Spain and Hungary attended.Template:Sfn Bernard used this council to rally support for Innocent II in northern Italy.Template:Sfn
Excommunication and Condemnation
The first order of business was the excommunication of antipope Anacletus II and his supporters, including Roger II of Sicily.Template:Sfn This was followed by the removal of the bishops of Halberstadt, Liege, Valence, Arezzo, Acera, and Moderna, and the archbishop of Milan all on the charges of simony or giving support to Anacletus II.Template:Sfn All schismatic ordinations were condemned.Template:Sfn
Henry the Monk was brought before the council and condemned on the charge of maintaining heretical views.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn He was ordered to cease his preaching and return to a monastery.Template:Sfn
Templars
The Templar Order met the clergy of north-west Italy for the first time at Pisa.Template:Sfn Bernard of Clairvaux called on the assembled clergy to allow the Knights Templar commanderies in their own jurisdictions.Template:Sfn Innocent set the precedent by giving a mark of gold each year to the Templar order.Template:Sfn This donation was matched by the bishops who all gave a silver mark apiece.Template:Sfn
Clerical marriage
All marriages involving clerics, monks, and cloistered nuns were annulled.Template:Sfn It was agreed by all participants of the council that such unions were not regarded as marriage.Template:Sfn This judgment established celibacy as a major theme in Innocentian politics.Template:Sfn
Regulate religious orders
Restricted the placement of adolescents into religious orders, unless they show prudence and merit for that type of life.Template:Sfn
Aftermath
Held during the pinnacle of the papal schism, the Council of Pisa has been described as the end of the reform papacy by H.W. Klewitz.Template:Efn
Antipope Anacletus II died on 25 January 1138,Template:Sfn ending the schism within the Catholic Church.Template:Sfn Gregorio de Conti, who was elected Antipope Victor IV in March 1138, quickly abdicated by May 1138 and recognized Innocent II as head of the Catholic church.Template:Sfn
Innocent returned to Rome and at the Second Council of the Lateran held on 29 March 1139, he issued the papal bull, Omne datum optimum.Template:Sfn This gave the Templar Order an official sanction as defenders of the Catholic Church.Template:Sfn In the following years, thanks to the persuasive effort by Bernard, the Templars founded commanderies at Piacenza and Reggio Emilia.Template:Sfn