Editing Pope Celestine II (section)

==Papacy==
Celestine II governed the [[Catholic Church]] for only five months and thirteen days from his election until his death on 8 March 1144. Upon his accession he wrote to [[Peter the Venerable]] and the monks of [[Cluny]], asking them to pray for him, while he was congratulated by [[Arnulf of Lisieux]].<ref>Mann, pgs. 106–107</ref> Regardless of the brevity of his reign, he was prepared to chart a very different course from that of his predecessor. He was opposed to Innocent II's concessions to King [[Roger II of Sicily]]<ref name="Mann, pg. 108">Mann, pg. 108</ref> and refused to ratify the [[Treaty of Mignano]] ("a foolish policy, which he survived – just – long enough to regret"<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Popes: A History|last=NORWICH|first=JOHN JU|date=2012|publisher=Vintage|isbn=9780099565871|location=London|language=English}}</ref>). He was in favor of the [[Plantagenet]]s' claim to the English throne, and was therefore opposed to King [[Stephen of England]]. To emphasise this shift, he refused to renew the legatine authority that Innocent II had granted to King Stephen's brother, [[Henry of Blois]].<ref name="Mann, pg. 108">Mann, pg. 108</ref> Celestine also favored the [[Templars]], ordering a general collection for them, as well as the [[Knights Hospitaller|Hospitallers]], giving them control of the hospital of Saint Mary Teutonicorum in [[Jerusalem]].<ref name="Mann, pg. 111">Mann, pg. 111</ref>
[[File:Caelestinus II. podoba.jpg|thumb|19th-century religious card depicting Celestine's absolution of [[Louis VII of France|King Louis VII of France]].]]
The principal act of his [[papacy]] was the absolution of [[Louis VII of France]].<ref name="Mann, pg. 108">Mann, pg. 108</ref> King Louis had refused to accept the nomination of [[Pierre de la Chatre]] as the [[archbishop of Bourges]], who went to see Innocent II to have his nomination confirmed.<ref name="Mann, pg. 109">Mann, pg. 109</ref> When Pierre returned to [[France]] in 1142, Louis refused him permission to enter his episcopal city, causing Pierre to flee to the court of Count [[Theobald II of Champagne]]. Innocent responded by placing France under an [[interdict]].<ref name="Mann, pg. 109">Mann, pg. 109</ref> For two years, the various parties remained at loggerheads while [[Bernard of Clairvaux]] attempted to mediate the dispute.<ref>Mann, pgs. 109–110</ref> With the election of Celestine, both Bernard and Theobald appealed to the pope, while Louis sent ambassadors to have the interdict lifted.<ref>Mann, pgs. 110–111</ref> Louis agreed to accept Pierre as the legitimate archbishop of Bourges, and in return, Celestine removed the sentence of interdict.<ref name="Mann, pg. 111">Mann, pg. 111</ref>

Celestine died on 8 March 1144<ref name="Thomas, pg. 91">Thomas, pg. 91</ref> in the monastery of Saint Sebastian on the [[Palatine]] hill and was buried in the south transept of the [[Lateran]].<ref name="Mann, pg. 111">Mann, pg. 111</ref> Celestine's [[heraldic badge]] was a [[Lozenge (heraldry)|lozengy]] shield of argent and gules.<ref name="Mann, pg. 102"/>

Celestine II is the first pope listed in the [[Prophecies of St Malachy]].