Pope Anastasius IV was born Corrado di Subarra and had a long career in the church before his election to the papacy in 1253. Pope Paschal II appointed him cardinal priest of Sta. Pudenzia c. 1111-1114, and in 1126, Honorius III made Corrado cardinal bishop of Sabina. As Honorius' representative, he settled disputes at Farsa and at Monte Cassino, and from 1130-1137, he was vicar for Innocent III. Corrado served as Eugene III's vicar from 1147-1149 and again from 1150-1152. As pope, Anastasius sent Nicholas Breakspear (later Pope Adrian IV) to Scandinavia to organize the church and maintained peaceful relations with the commune that controlled Rome. Anastasius died in 1154.
Pope Anastasius IV (c. 1073 – 3 December 1154), born Corrado Demetri della Suburra, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 July 1153 to his death. He is the last pope to take the name "Anastasius" upon his election.
Early life
He was a Roman, son of Benedictus de Suburra, probably of the family of Demetri, and became a secular clerk. He was created cardinal-priest of S. Pudenziana by Pope Paschal II no later than in 1114. In 1127 or 1128 Pope Honorius II promoted him to the suburbicarian See of Sabina. He was probably given this position for siding with Honorius II during a dispute over the appointment of a new abbot for Farfa. He had taken part in the double papal election of 1130, had been one of the most determined opponents of Antipope Anacletus II and, when Pope Innocent II fled to France, had been left behind as his vicar in Italy. At the time of his election to the papacy in July 1153 he was Dean of the College of Cardinals and probably the oldest member of that body.
Pontificate
During his short pontificate he played the part of a peacemaker; he came to terms with the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in the vexing question of the appointment to the See of Magdeburg and closed the long quarrel, which had raged through four pontificates, about the appointment of William Fitzherbert (commonly known as Saint William of York) to the see of York by sending him the pallium in spite of the continued opposition of the powerful Cistercian order. Anastasius IV also devoted much time and expenses on the Lateran Basilica and Palace back at Rome. Pope Anastasius IV died on 3 December 1154 and was succeeded by Cardinal Nicholas Breakspear as Pope Adrian IV. Anastasius IV was laid to rest within the Helena sarcophagus which was brought out and reused as his tomb.
