Antipope Benedict X
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Benedict X
(antipope 5 Apr. 1058 — Jan. 1059: d. after 1073)
On the death of Stephen IX, while the leading Roman clergy, in obedience to their oath to him, deferred electing a successor until Hildebrand (later Gregory VII) returned from a mission to Germany, a clique of nobles led by Gregory of Tusculum and Gerard of Galeria saw their chance to seize control of the papacy and, winning over the people by bribery, had John Mincius, cardinal bishop of Velletri, elected and enthroned with the style Benedict X. Their choice was astute, for although John, a Roman by birth, belonged to the Tusculan family, he may have been one of the five proposed by Frederick of Lorraine (later Stephen IX) when consulted in July — Aug. 1057 about a successor to Victor II—there is a possibility it was his predecessor as bishop of Velletri, a member of the circle of reformers, who was among the five. But if his backers hoped that, taken by surprise, the reformers would accept the fait accompli, they were mistaken. They all fled from Rome, anathematizing Benedict, who had to be irregularly consecrated since Peter Damian, who as bishop of Ostia had the right to officiate, refused to do so.
Nevertheless for some nine months, while the reformers concerted their plans, Benedict managed to function as pope; one of his few recorded acts was to send the pallium to Archbishop Stigand of Canterbury (d. c. 1072). In Dec. 1058, however, the cardinals elected Nicholas II at Siena. Early in Jan. 1059 Nicholas held a synod at Sutri, with the imperial chancellor Guibert representing the regent Agnes, and excommunicated Benedict as an 'invader' of the holy see and as a perjuror for breaking his oath to the dying Stephen IX. When Nicholas took possession of Rome on 24 Jan., Benedict sought refuge in Gerard's castle at Galeria. When Gerard eventually surrendered it after two sieges in autumn 1059, Benedict renounced all claim to the holy see, removed his pontifical insignia in token of this, and retired to a family property near Sta Maria Maggiore; but a month later Hildebrand, now archdeacon, gaoled him. Finally, his voluntary abdication not being deemed sufficient, he was publicly tried, with Hildebrand as his accuser, in Apr. 1060 and, in spite of protesting that the papal office had been forced upon him against his will, was ceremonially deposed and degraded. Sentenced to confinement in the hospice of Sant'Agnese on the Via Nomentana, he lived on there at least until the accession of Hildebrand as Gregory VII (1073). When he died, his old adversary relented sufficiently to arrange for him to be honourably buried in that church.
Previous (chronologically): Stephen IX (X), Victor II, St Leo IX
Next (chronologically): Nicholas II, Alexander II, Honorius (II)
On the death of Stephen IX, while the leading Roman clergy, in obedience to their oath to him, deferred electing a successor until Hildebrand (later Gregory VII) returned from a mission to Germany, a clique of nobles led by Gregory of Tusculum and Gerard of Galeria saw their chance to seize control of the papacy and, winning over the people by bribery, had John Mincius, cardinal bishop of Velletri, elected and enthroned with the style Benedict X. Their choice was astute, for although John, a Roman by birth, belonged to the Tusculan family, he may have been one of the five proposed by Frederick of Lorraine (later Stephen IX) when consulted in July — Aug. 1057 about a successor to Victor II—there is a possibility it was his predecessor as bishop of Velletri, a member of the circle of reformers, who was among the five. But if his backers hoped that, taken by surprise, the reformers would accept the fait accompli, they were mistaken. They all fled from Rome, anathematizing Benedict, who had to be irregularly consecrated since Peter Damian, who as bishop of Ostia had the right to officiate, refused to do so.
Nevertheless for some nine months, while the reformers concerted their plans, Benedict managed to function as pope; one of his few recorded acts was to send the pallium to Archbishop Stigand of Canterbury (d. c. 1072). In Dec. 1058, however, the cardinals elected Nicholas II at Siena. Early in Jan. 1059 Nicholas held a synod at Sutri, with the imperial chancellor Guibert representing the regent Agnes, and excommunicated Benedict as an 'invader' of the holy see and as a perjuror for breaking his oath to the dying Stephen IX. When Nicholas took possession of Rome on 24 Jan., Benedict sought refuge in Gerard's castle at Galeria. When Gerard eventually surrendered it after two sieges in autumn 1059, Benedict renounced all claim to the holy see, removed his pontifical insignia in token of this, and retired to a family property near Sta Maria Maggiore; but a month later Hildebrand, now archdeacon, gaoled him. Finally, his voluntary abdication not being deemed sufficient, he was publicly tried, with Hildebrand as his accuser, in Apr. 1060 and, in spite of protesting that the papal office had been forced upon him against his will, was ceremonially deposed and degraded. Sentenced to confinement in the hospice of Sant'Agnese on the Via Nomentana, he lived on there at least until the accession of Hildebrand as Gregory VII (1073). When he died, his old adversary relented sufficiently to arrange for him to be honourably buried in that church.
Previous (chronologically): Stephen IX (X), Victor II, St Leo IX
Next (chronologically): Nicholas II, Alexander II, Honorius (II)
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Antipope Benedict X
Pope/Antipope Benedict X (d.1073/1080), was born John Mincius, and later became Cardinal Bishop of Velletri. He was elected in 1058, his election having been arranged by the Count of Tusculum. However, a number of Cardinals alleged that the election was irregular, and that votes had been bought; these cardinals were forced to flee Rome. Hildebrand, later Pope Gregory VII (1073–85), had been sent by the late Pope Stephen IX (1057–58) to the court of Empress Agnes (mother and regent for Emperor Henry IV, then a minor), who had questioned the validity of Stephen IX's election. When, on his return to Rome, he heard of Benedict X's election, he decided to oppose it, and obtained the support of the Duke of Lorraine-Tuscany and Empress Agnes for the election of Gerhard of Burgundy, Bishop of Florence, as Pope instead. Those cardinals who had opposed Benedict X's election met at Siena in December 1058, and elected Hildebrand's candidate as Pope, who then took the name Nicholas II (1059–61).
Nicholas II proceeded towards Rome, along the way holding a synod at Sutri, where he pronounced Benedict X deposed and excommunicated. The supporters of Nicholas II then gained control of Rome, and forced Benedict X to flee to the castle of Gerard of Galeria. Having arrived in Rome, Nicholas II then proceeded to wage war against Benedict X and his supporters, with Norman assistance. An initial battle was fought in Campagna in early 1059, which was not wholly successful for Nicholas II; but later that same year, his forces conquered Praeneste, Tusculum and Numentanum, and then attacked Galeria, forcing Benedict X to surrender and renounce the Papacy.
Benedict X was then allowed to go free, and he retired to one of his family estates; but Hildebrand then had him imprisoned in 1060 in the hospice of St. Agnese, where he died, still a prisoner, sometime around 1073 to 1080.
The most important consequence of the affair of Benedict X was the adoption of new laws on papal elections, at a synod hosted by Nicholas II in the Lateran Palace at Easter 1059.
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- The Catholic Encyclopedia, "Nicholas II", http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11055a.htm
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