Editing Pope Honorius II (section)

===Conclave of 1124===
Pressures building within the [[Curia]], together with ongoing conflicts among the Roman nobility, would erupt after the death of Callixtus II in 1124.<ref name="Levillain, pg. 732">Levillain, pg. 732</ref> The pontificates of Urban II and Paschal II saw an expansion in the [[College of Cardinals]] of Italian clerics that strengthened the local Roman influence. These cardinals were reluctant to meet with the batch of cardinals recently promoted by Callixtus II, who were mainly [[France|French]] or [[Duchy of Burgundy|Burgundian]].<ref name="Levillain, pg. 732" /> As far as the older cardinals were concerned, these newer cardinals were dangerous innovators, and they were determined to resist their increasing influence.<ref name="Levillain, pg. 732" /> The northern cardinals, led by Cardinal Aymeric de Bourgogne (the [[Chancery of Apostolic Briefs|Papal Chancellor]]), were equally determined to ensure that the elected pope would be one of their candidates.<ref name="Levillain, pg. 732" /> Both groups looked towards the great Roman families for support.

[[File:Coliseo medieval.jpg|thumb|The area of medieval Rome controlled by the [[Frangipani family]]]]
By 1124, there were two great factions dominating local politics in Rome: the [[Frangipani family]], which controlled the region around the fortified [[Colosseum]] and supported the northern cardinals,<ref name="Levillain, pg. 732" /> and the [[Pierleoni family]], which controlled the [[Tiber Island]] and the fortress of the [[Theatre of Marcellus]] and supported the Italian cardinals.<ref name="Mann, pg. 231">Mann, pg. 231</ref> With Callixtus II's death on 13 December 1124, both families agreed that the election of the next pope should be in three days time, in accordance with the church canons. The Frangipani, led by Leo Frangipani, pushed for the delay in order that they could promote their preferred candidate, Lamberto,<ref name="Mann, pg. 231" /> but the people were eager to see Saxo de Anagni, the Cardinal-Priest of San Stefano in Celiomonte elected as the next pope.<ref name="Mann, pg. 231" /> Leo, eager to ensure a valid election, approached key members of every Cardinal's entourage, promising each one that he would support their master when the voting for the election was underway.<ref name="Mann, pg. 232">Mann, pg. 232</ref>

On 16 December, all the Cardinals, including Lamberto, assembled in the chapel of the monastery of St. Pancratius attached to the south of the Lateran basilica.<ref name="Mann, pg. 232" /> There, at the suggestion of [[Jonathan (cardinal)|Jonathas]], the cardinal-deacon of [[Santi Cosma e Damiano (Rome)|Santi Cosma e Damiano]], who was a partisan of the Pierleoni family,<ref name="Levillain, pg. 732" /> the Cardinals unanimously elected as Pope the Cardinal-Priest of Sant'Anastasia, Theobaldo Boccapecci, who took the name [[Antipope Celestine II|Celestine II]].<ref name="Thomas, pg. 90">Thomas, pg. 90</ref> He had only just put on the red mantle and the ''[[Te Deum]]'' was being sung when an armed party of Frangipani supporters (in a move pre-arranged with Cardinal Aymeric)<ref name="Levillain, pg. 732" /> burst in, attacked the newly enthroned Celestine, who was wounded, and acclaimed Lamberto as Pope.<ref name="Thomas, pg. 90" /> Since Celestine had not been formally consecrated pope, the wounded candidate declared himself willing to resign, but the Pierleoni family and their supporters refused to accept Lamberto,<ref name="Levillain, pg. 732" /> who in the confusion had been proclaimed Pope under the name Honorius II.<ref name="Mann, pg. 233">Mann, pg. 233</ref>

Rome descended into factional infighting, while Cardinal Aymeric and Leo Frangipani attempted to win over the resistance of Urban, the City Prefect, and the Pierleoni family with bribes and extravagant promises.<ref name="Levillain, pg. 732" /> Eventually, Celestine's supporters abandoned him, leaving Honorius the only contender for the papal throne.<ref name="Mann, pg. 233" /> Honorius, unwilling to accept the throne in such a manner, resigned his position before all of the assembled Cardinals,<ref name="Mann, pg. 233" /> but was immediately and unanimously re-elected and consecrated on 21 December 1124.<ref name="Levillain, pg. 732" />