# Pope Honorius II

_Pope from 1124 to 1130_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/pope-honorius-ii
Last updated: 2026-11-03

> Pope Honorius II (9 February 1060 – 13 February 1130), born Lamberto Scannabecchi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 21 December 1124 to his death in 1130.

## Quick facts

- **Place of birth:** San Martino in Pedriolo ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q173071#P19))
- **Died:** 20 February 1130 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q173071#P570))
- **Place of death:** Rome ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q173071#P20))
- **Occupation:** Catholic priest; writer ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q173071#P106))
- **Positions held:** Pope (28 December 1124 – 13 February 1130); cardinal-bishop of Ostia (1117–1124) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q173071#P39))

## About

Although from a humble background, his obvious intellect and outstanding abilities saw him promoted up through the ecclesiastical hierarchy. Attached to the Frangipani family of Rome, his election as pope was contested by a rival candidate, Celestine II, and force was used to guarantee his election.

Honorius's pontificate was concerned with ensuring that the privileges the Roman Catholic Church had obtained through the Concordat of Worms were preserved and, if possible, extended. He was the first pope to confirm the election of the Holy Roman emperor. Distrustful of the traditional Benedictine order, he favoured new monastic orders, such as the Augustinians and the Cistercians, and sought to exercise more control over the larger monastic centres of Monte Cassino and Cluny Abbey. He also approved the new military order of the Knights Templar in 1128.

Honorius II failed to prevent Roger II of Sicily from extending his power in southern Italy and was unable to stop Louis VI of France from interfering in the affairs of the French church. Like his predecessors, he managed the wide-ranging affairs of the church through Papal Legates. With his death in 1130, the Church was again thrown into confusion with the election of two rival popes, Innocent II and the antipope Anacletus II.

## Questions

**What positions has Pope Honorius II held?**  
Positions held by Pope Honorius II include: Pope (1124–1130); cardinal-bishop of Ostia (1117–1124).

## Related

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- [Pope Gregory XIII](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-gregory-xiii)
- [Pope Clement VII](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-clement-vii)
- [Pope Pius I](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-pius-i)
- [Pope Boniface I](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-boniface-i)
- [Pope Agapetus I](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-agapetus-i)
- [Pope Benedict XVI](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-benedict-xvi)
- [Pope Benedict XI](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-benedict-xi)
- [Pope Innocent VI](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-innocent-vi)
- [Pope Alexander IV](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-alexander-iv)
- [Pope Gregory IX](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-gregory-ix)
- [Pope Innocent V](https://diginpl.com/people/pope-innocent-v)

## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Pope Honorius II](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Honorius_II) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q173071](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q173071) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Pope honorius ii.jpg by Unknown author Unknown author (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pope_honorius_ii.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Pope Honorius II, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Pope honorius ii.jpg — Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Pope Honorius II". DigiNepal. Last updated 3 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/pope-honorius-ii. Retrieved 5 November 2026.