| |
During the reign of Innocent III (1198 to 1216), the papacy reached its apex of power. He belonged to an outstanding Roman family and had received the best education. At the age of 29 he was made a cardinal. Eight years later he was elected pope.
When Innocent became pope in 1198, he immediately proclaimed to the world that he would brook no opposition from secular powers.
“The Lord gave Peter the rule not only over the universal Church, but also the rule over the whole world.”
“No king can rule rightly unless he devoutly serves Christ’s vicar.”
“The pope is entrusted with the dominion of the Church and also with the rule of the whole world. He is at once king and priest. All things in heaven and earth and in hell are subject to Christ and so are they also to his vicar – the pope.”
His first battle was with Philip II of France. In 1190, Philip’s wife Isabella died. In 1193, he married Ingeborg, sister of the Danish king Canute IV. But the day after the wedding he had the marriage annulled by an assembly of bishops. Three years later he married Agnes, the daughter of Bertold IV of Meran. Innocent responded by placing an interdict on France. An Interdict is an ecclesiastical censure that excludes an individual or a nation from participation in the sacraments and from all public religious services.
Philip submitted, pretending to be reconciled with Ingeborg, but refused to cohabit with her and kept her in semi captivity until 1213, when he accepted her as queen but not as his wife. Agnes died in 1201, after bearing two children to Philip.
 Innocent then took on King John of England over John’s refusal to accept the election of Stephen Langton archbishop of Canterbury. In 1205, the archbishop of Canterbury died. After two years of political intrigue, Innocent III procured the election of the Roman cardinal Stephen Langton. John repudiated Langton’s appointment, seized the revenues of Canterbury, and banished the monks from his kingdom.
Innocent excommunicated John, laid the Interdict on the nation, and began negotiating with Philip II for an invasion of England. John capitulated in 1213, surrendering England as a fiefdom of the papacy.
Innocent also interfered in the affairs of Germany, dictating the imperial succession. One after another, the princes of Europe acknowledged the Pope as spiritual lord.
Innocent summoned the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215. He had two stated goals: “I have especially in my heart the re-conquest of the Holy Land, and the reform of the Church universal.”
The Council was attended by more than 400 bishops, 800 abbots and priors, and envoys of many European kings. Some of the canon laws passed were:
Canon 1: The dogma of Transubstantiation.
Canons 14-17: Against the irregularities of the clergy -- e.g., incontinence, drunkenness, the chase, attendance at farces and dramatic exhibitions.
Canon 21: Every Christian who has reached the years of discretion to confess all his, or her, sins at least once a year to his, or her, own priest.
Canons 78, 79: Jews and Moslems shall wear a special dress to enable them to be distinguished from Christians.
|
|
