Pope Gelasius II (Giovanni da Gaeta) succeeds Pope Paschal II as the 161st pope on January 24, 1118. His short pontificate was defined by the ongoing Investiture Controversy with Holy Roman Emperor Henry V, which forced him into exile shortly after his election.
The Investiture Controversy was a conflict between the Church and the state over the ability to choose and install bishops (investiture). Pope Gelasius II was driven from Rome by the Emperor who installed Antipope Gregory VIII. Gelasius II spent much of his short reign in exile before dying in Cluny, France, on January 29, 1119. He was succeeded by Callixtus II, who eventually brought the struggle over investiture to a close.
