Nicholas II
When Gerard of Burgandy was elected to the papacy in 1058, he took the name Nicholas in honor of Nicholas I. Nicholas was born c. 1010 in Lorraine and was bishop of Florence at the time of his election. Antipope Benedict XIII opposed his election, and Nicholas was not enthroned until Godfrey of Lorraine drove Benedict from Rome in 1059. Nicholas called a council to discuss the usual pressing issues, simony, lay investiture, and the antipope. The council also set up new rules for papal elections, and the Germans rejected these guidelines because they omitted any reference to the role of the emperor in such elections. Nicholas died two years later.
Karen Rae Keck
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