170th Pope of the Catholic Church. Pontificate 1159 - 1181. He is noted in history for laying the foundation stone for the Notre Dame de Paris. In 1171, Alexander became the first pope to address the situation of the Church in Finland, with Finns allegedly harassing priests and relying only on God in time of war. In March 1179, Alexander III held the Third Council of the Lateran, one of the most important mediaeval church councils, reckoned by the Roman Church as the eleventh ecumenical council. Its acts embodied several of the Pope's proposals for the betterment of the condition of the Church, among them the law requiring that no one could be elected pope without the votes of two-thirds of the cardinals. The rule was altered slightly in 1996, but was restored in 2007. This synod marked the summit of Alexander III's power.