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 Pope Innocent III: 800th Anniversary of Death Scott 1629 (2016) Lotario (Lothar) dei Conti de Segni was elected pope on 11 January 1198 and took the name Innocent III. He is one of the most important medieval popes, serving as the 175th successor of St. Peter from his election to his death on 16 July 1216. Innocent laid the foundation for the medieval papacy. Because of his influence throughout Europe, in both religious and secular affairs, he is sometimes termed 'The Arbiter of Christendom.' He followed Pope Celestine III (1191-1198) and was succeeded by Honorius III (1216-1227). Lotario de Segni was the son of Trasimondo, Count of Segni and Clarisa from the patrician Scotti family, born in Agnani in 1160/61. The Segni family produced nine popes for the Church. Segni was educated in Paris (theology) and Bologna (law) and was ordained a priest after his papal election. He held Roman ecclesiastical offices after 1181 and became cardinal priest of Ss. Sergio and Bacco. He made a pilgrimage to the shrine of Thomas Becket (d. 1170) at Canterbury, England, a popular pilgrimage not only in England but in Europe. He was elected pope at age 37 on the second ballot the day Celestine III died. It is said that at the moment of his election a white dove arose as a signal of favor above the group of cardinal electors. Historian J. N. D. Kelly summarizes Innocent as a ruler: " A man born to rule, uniting exceptional gifts of intellect and character, with determination, flexibility, rare skill in handling men, and also humaneness, Innocent had an exalted conception of his position as Vicar of Christ (a title he made current), set midway between God and man, below God but above man, given not only to the universal church but the whole world to govern."At his consecration (22 February 1198), one of the many scriptural passages he cited stated: "So I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to root up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant". (Jeremiah 1:10).Innocent not only established his authority in Rome in both religious and secular affairs, but especially in those vassal states who owed allegiance to the papacy. His predecessors had been troubled by intervention by Holy Roman Emperors in northern Italy as well as the city of Rome, but Innocent began his papacy with the young Emperor Frederick II as his ward (although peaceful relations did not last in later years). When King John of England refused Stephen Langton's election as Archbishop of Canterbury, Innocent III excommunicated John. When John ultimately surrendered and was forced to accept the Magna Carta (1215), John gave England as fief to Innocent III, who then abrogated John's acceptance of the Charter. Innocent clashed with Philip II of France over relations with his vassals and the king's desire to set aside his wife for another. Aragon, Portugal, and Poland also became papal fiefs during Innocent's papacy. Historian Kelly writes that Innocent's greatest interests were combatting heresy, reform, and another crusade. Reform was accomplished through the Fourth Lateran Council (1215), attended by over 1200 prelates. Among other matters, it issued seventy decrees included a definition of the Eucharist and transubstantiation and called upon secular authorities to combat heresy. He also reformed the living standards of the curia, promoted honest business dealings in Rome. Most importantly, he insisted that appeals in important ecclesiastical matters be referred to Rome, which greatly strengthened Rome's authority during the Church of the High Middle Ages. However, he also promoted provincial and national synods throughout Europe, which were intended to strengthen reform throughout European dioceses. Heresy was combated by authorizing the new Dominican Order to preach against the Albigensian heretics in southern France. Innocent authorized the Franciscan Order to begin its itinerant preaching. In Rome, Innocent endowed the Hospital of the Holy Spirit, originally an 8th century Saxon pilgrim's inn, giving the facility a new lease on life, authorizing the Order of the Holy Spirit to staff the hospital to serve the poor. Innocent authorized the Fourth Crusade (1202-1204). However, Venetian ships were hired to transport troops to recapture Jerusalem instead attacked Zara (a city across the Adriatic from Venice). Venetian ships also sailed to Constantinople, eventually sacking the city, doing damage from which Constantinople never recovered (it fell to the Turks in 1453). Innocent III condemned these actions. The crusade collapsed and its objective to recover Jerusalem was not achieved. Innocent died suddenly in 1216 from a fever (perhaps malaria) at Perugia where he had travelled to settle a dispute between Genoa and Pisa. His relics were interned at the Basilica of St john Lateran in 1891, at the direction of Pope Leo XIII. Czech artist Marina Richterov designed the interesting Vatican City stamp shown at the top of the article, containing much symbolism in depicting the life and times of Innocent III. REFERENCES: |
