Innocent III

Lotario Conti (Gavignano, 1160 - Perugia, 1216), elected pope the January 8th 1198 Innocent under the name of III - “ Comes signatus ” in the Prophecy of Saint Malachie.

It should be noted that a Antipape bore also the name of Innocent III.

Before the election with pontificate

Lotario is resulting by his/her father, Trasimond, of the powerful family of Conti, counts of Segni, descendants of the Gens Anicia and the Counts de Tuscolo, which had given to the Church much popes, and by its mother of the Roman nobility. He studies initially in Rome then in Paris, where he receives the teaching of Pierre of Corbeil at the same time as Etienne Langton and Robert de Courson, than he will raise later with the dignity of cardinal. It carries out then short passage by Bologna, where he is the pupil of the canonist Uguccio of Pisa, which will inspire a political program to him, pontifical theocracy. In 1186, it goes back to Rome, where Gregoire VIII the orders sub-deacon. Clement III, his uncle, names it in 1190 cardinal-deacon of Saint-Serge-and-Bacchus. It is at that time that it writes the treaty misery of the human condition , the De Miseria Condicionis Humane . With died of Célestin III, he is elected, at the 37 years age in 1198, against the opinion of his predecessor Célestin III who had advanced the name of Jean Colonna.

Pontifical theocracy

Innocent III supports the idea that the pope holds only whole sovereignty (the Auctoritas of the Romans). The princes have in the Potestas , i.e. the political power which is given to them directly by God. He results from this that the sovereigns cannot withdraw from the pontifical authority step more but the national Churches. Its doctrines are more flexible than the Dictatus papae of the Gregorian Réforme. Indeed even if he thinks that the spiritual power overrides the temporal power, Innocent III limit the intervention of the pope in the temporal field with three cases: a serious sin of the princes, need for slicing in a field where null jurisdiction is not qualified, the defense of the ecclesiastical goods. He does not hesitate to throw the interdict over the kingdom of France of Philippe Auguste or to excommunicate Jean without Ground.

On the theological level, it shows an orthodoxy without fault. The eradication of the heresies was the great business of its life and fought in particular against the catharism which put in danger the Catholic church.

One period of glory for the Holy See

Innocent III develops an important ecclesiastical administration and makes progress the pontifical taxation. He encourages the conquest and the christianization of the areas of Occident remained with the hands of the Infidels (Spain) or of pagan (Prussia). He establishes his temporal authority on Rome (a single senator replaces the municipal organizations) and increases the States of the Church of the duchy of Spolète and the walk of Ancône. Tutor of the young king of Sicily Frederic Roger (Frederic II), it obtains the reduction of the kingly capacities on the Church of Sicily and the vassalage of the prince for his kingdom.

The pope Innocent III tries to prohibit any traffic with Buckwheats but must give up under the pressure of Venice. He prohibits the use of the crossbow, but is not listened. He prohibits all ill treatment against the Juifs of Rome, but also proscribed all friendly relations with them, which are among the first to carry the Rouelle.

He dies in 1216. He is buried initially with the cathedral San Lorenzo of Perugia. Its remainders, mingled with those with Urbain IV and Martin IV, are transferred in 1891 to the Basilique Midsummer's Day from Lateran.

Chronology

Before 1198, it composed the De Miseria Condicionis Humane.
1198, it preached the Fourth crusade to take again Jerusalem; the command of forwarding was entrusted to the marquis Boniface de Montferrat. However, this crusade stopped with Constantinople, put it at bag, and set out again with Venice.
1199, it prohibits the reading of the Bible to the people. He prohibits the archbishop's palace of Fraud which gathered in only one organization Brittany.
1203, it sent two legates, Pierre de Castelnau and Raoul de Fontfroide, near the count de Toulouse Raymond VI in order to invite it to carry out a Croisade on its grounds.
1207, it made preach the Croisade against the Albigensians.
1208, it threw the interdict on the kingdom of England after its conflict with Jean without Ground on the nomination of the archbishop of Canterbury.
1209, it issues the crusade against the Almohades, with same indulgences for the crusaders as those granted to the Holy Land combatants. Battle of Mow Navas de Tolosa.
1210, it recognized the Université of Paris
1210, Innocent III, supporting Frederic II of Hohenstaufen, excommunicates Otton IV of the Holy roman Empire
1212, it ordered the Croisade of the children, which was a complete disaster.
1213, it obtained the tender of Jean without Ground
1215, it ordered the Fifth crusade, towards the Egypt.

See too

References

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