Pope Celestine II died on 8 March 1144 at Rome, after a pontificate of only five months.
[1] The election of his successor took place in the shadow of this municipal revolution, which opposed the secular rule of the Pope.
[3] This problem remained unresolved on his death, because he had refused to confirm the privileges granted to Roger by his predecessor Innocent II.
The details concerning the place of the election or the exact date of electoral proceedings are not registered.
[4] Since the elect was chancellor of the Holy See and close collaborator of both Innocent II and Celestine II, it may be assumed that the cardinals wanted to continue their policy, friendly towards the Empire and hostile towards the king Roger.