Several, particularly older, cardinals considered the compromise achieved in Worms as desertion of the principles of the Gregorian Reform, and inclined to accept it only as a tactical move.

[1] The opposite faction was headed by Aymeric de la Chatre, who was named cardinal and chancellor of the Holy See shortly after signing the Concordat of Worms and was one of the main architects of the new policy.

He and his adherents looked at the compromise as a good solution both for the Church and the Emperor, and did not trust the Norman vassals of the Holy See, who expressed some expansionist tendencies.

[14] The other possible reasons for such radical tensions in the College (e.g. national divisions, connections to different spiritual centres) are widely discussed by historians without final conclusion.

[16] Therefore, the faction of the Chancellor acquired a majority in the electoral body[17] The following cardinals were elected to the committee (the opponents of Aymeric are denoted with †):[18] Honorius II died in the night 13/14 February 1130 in the Roman monastery of S. Gregorio, after a long illness.

But Cardinals Pierleoni and Gionata, realising that the commission certainly would elect a supporter of the Chancellor, withdrew from it hoping that a lack of quorum would prevent it from functioning.

Initially, Cardinal Pierleoni proposed the election of the Dean of the College Pietro Senex of Porto, but he refused to accept the papal dignity.

The decree proclaiming his election issued on the same day was subscribed by 14 cardinals:[23] It is not known whether the remaining five adherents of Pierleoni, who are believed to have been present at Rome, participated in the electoral proceedings.

The electoral decree of Anacletus II bears the subscriptions of some of them, including Subdeacon Gregorio, primicerius scholae cantorum, who was appointed Cardinal-Deacon of S. Maria in Aquiro the following February 21, and Rainiero, Archpriest of the Patriarchal Liberian Basilica.

Stefano Stornato joined the obedience of Innocent II no later than 1132; Lectifredo of S. Vitale[31] and Giovanni Dauferio[32] did the same in 1133, Pietro Pisano in 1137,[33] and Desiderio of S. Prassede shortly before the end of the schism in 1138.

Innocent II received episcopal consecration from Cardinal Giovanni of Ostia in the church S. Maria Nuova, the titular deaconry of Chancellor Aymeric.

Their opponents answered with another version of the decree (false, but very popular at the time),[citation needed] which stated that the pope was elected by "cardinals" (meaning cardinal-priests and deacons), while cardinal-bishops could only express their approval or disapproval.