Gelasius II was a Benedictine monk who served as the head of the Catholic Church from 1118 until his death in 1119. Born in Gaeta around 1060, he was a member of the Caetani family and studied at Monte Cassino. Before his election, he served as the chancellor for Pope Paschal II, where he significantly reformed papal administration by establishing a permanent clerical staff and introducing new script styles. His brief papacy was largely defined by his struggle against Emperor Henry V regarding the investiture controversy.