Nicholas Breakspeare
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Pope Adrian IV |
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| Papacy began | 4 December 1154 |
| Papacy ended | 1 September 1159 |
| Predecessor | Anastasius IV |
| Successor | Alexander III |
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Nicholas Breakspear or Breakspeare |
| Born |
c. 1100 Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire, Kingdom of England |
| Died |
1 September 1159 (aged 59) Anagni, Papal States, Holy Roman Empire |
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Papal styles of Pope Adrian IV |
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| Reference style | His Holiness |
| Spoken style | Your Holiness |
| Religious style | Holy Father |
| Posthumous style | none |
Pope Adrian IV (Latin: Adrianus IV; born Nicholas Breakspear; c. 1100 – 1 September 1159) was Pope from 4 December 1154 to his death in 1159.
Adrian IV is the only Englishman to have occupied the papal throne. It is believed that he was born in Bedmond in the parish of Abbots Langley in Hertfordshire and received his early education at the Abbey School, St Albans.
Nicholas' father was Robert, who later became a monk at St Albans. Nicholas went to Paris and later became a canon regular of St Rufus monastery near Arles. He rose to be prior and was then soon unanimously elected abbot. This election has been traditionally dated to 1137, but evidence from the abbey's chronicles suggests that it happened about 1145.
His reforming zeal as abbot led to the lodging of complaints against him at Rome; but these merely attracted to him the favourable attention of Pope Eugene III, who created him Cardinal Bishop of Albano in December 1149.
From 1152 to 1154 Nicholas was in Scandinavia as papal legate, establishing an independent archepiscopal see for Norway at Trondheim, a place he chose chiefly in honour of St Olaf. This led him to create the Diocese at Hamar, and, according to tradition, to form cathedral schools in Norway's bishopric cities. These schools were to have a lasting effect on education and Catholic spirituality in Norway (even after the Reformation in Norway). (Norway's cathedral schools persisted, although they later lost their formal ties to the church.) Nicholas made arrangements which resulted in the recognition of Gamla Uppsala (Old Uppsala) as seat of the Swedish metropolitan in 1164 (later moved to Uppsala). As compensation for territory thus withdrawn, the Danish archbishop of Lund was made legate and perpetual vicar and given the title of primate of Denmark and Sweden. Nicholas was accompanied to Scandinavia by another English-born priest, Henry, Bishop of Finland (d. 1156), who would later be venerated by Catholics, Lutherans and Anglicans as Saint Henry of Uppsala.
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