Election of Pope Gregory VIII

Date: October 21, 1187 • Location: Rome, Italy

Election of Gregory VIII following the death of Pope Urban III.

Pope Gregory VIII, born Alberto di Morra, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States for two months in 1187. Becoming Pope after a long diplomatic career as Apostolic Chancellor, he was notable in his brief reign for reconciling the Papacy with the estranged Holy Roman Empire and for initiating the Third Crusade.