1227 papal election

Papal election
1227
Dates and location
19 March 1227
Septizodium,[1] Rome
Key officials
DeanUgolino di Segni
ProtopriestGuala Bicchieri
ProtodeaconOttaviano dei Conti di Segni
Elected pope
Ugolino di Segni
Name taken: Gregory IX
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A fragment of the Septizodium as it looked in the 16th century

The 1227 papal election (19 March), was convoked after the death of Pope Honorius III on 18 March 1227 at Rome.

The cardinals present at Rome assembled in Septizodium[1] on the next day after the death of Honorius III and decided to elect the new Pope by compromissum, meaning not by the whole Sacred College of Cardinals but by the committee of few of them, empowered by the rest to appoint the new Pontiff. The same procedure had been already used in the previous election. The committee numbered three cardinals, among whom were cardinal-bishops Ugolino di Segni of Ostia and Konrad von Urach of Porto (the name of the third one is not registered). Initially the committee elected its member Konrad von Urach with two votes out three, but he refused the tiara. Hereupon the rest of cardinals unanimously elected Ugolino di Segni (another committee member) on 19 March 1227. He reluctantly accepted the high honour, taking the name of Gregory IX.[2]

The new Pope received the pallium in the Vatican Basilica on 21 March 1227, and on the same day was enthroned in the Lateran Basilica. On 11 April 1227, his relative Ottaviano Conti di Segni, archdeacon of the Sacred College, solemnly crowned him in the Basilica di S. Maria in Maggiore.[3]

  1. ^ a b Or possibly the Septasolium. There has been confusion about these locations, as described by Dr. J. P. Adams
  2. ^ The Catholic Encyclopedia: Pope Gregory IX; and Gaetano Moroni, vol. XXXII p. 257 and vol. LXXXV, p. 261. Timo Bandhold, p. 9, says that only Konrad von Urach is known to have been a committee member and the rest two members of that body are unknown
  3. ^ Salvador Miranda: Cardinal Ugolino dei conti di Segni (Pope Gregory IX)