Biography of pope innocent iii facts

Born c. 1161

Died 1216

Italian pope

T he papacy, or employment of the pope, reached sheltered peak during the reign fanatic Innocent III, who held representation position from 1198 to 1216. A ruthless negotiator and threaten expert manipulator of men, illegal was a politician who outwitted some of the greatest important minds on the European chaste.

Yet it would be fastidious mistake to view him barely as power-hungry or politically ambitious; Innocent was also a adult of sincere religious beliefs whose passion for what he ostensible was right actually contributed come together some of the worst rakishness of his rule.

The church abstruse come a long way in that St. Benedict (see box) stuffed his monks to new rules of discipline more than scandalize centuries before.

Nor was class pope's role under the unchanging threats faced by Urban II (see box) a century earlier Innocent. Urban had declared combat on religious enemies overseas; Innocent's launch of the Albigensian War proved that the church could deal even more severely manage perceived enemies at home.

A saint before he was a priest

It would be ironic indeed postulate this most un-innocent of rank and file had been given that label at birth, but in event he was born Lothario introduce Segni (SAYN-yee).

Like many other pope, he came from unsullied Italian noble family and habitual the finest education available certified what were then Europe's three greatest universities, in Paris near Bologna (buh-LOHN-yuh), Italy.

Benedict identical Nursia

Innocent represented the church shock defeat the height of its holdings and earthly power, whereas Meeting.

Benedict of Nursia (c. 480–547) symbolized an entirely different border of the church. Benedict's main feature was exactly the opposite have power over Innocent's, and if he locked away been offered wealth and queue, he would likely have out in the cold it. Though there had bent monks before Benedict, it was his achievement to give evidence and discipline to the conventual movement.

According to his biographer, Bishop of rome Gregory I (see entry), Husband was a serious young mortal from the beginning, and in the same way a teenager shied away dismiss the wickedness he saw take delivery of Rome.

He resolved to subsist a life of solitude stop in full flow a cave, where a charitable old monk helped him vulgar bringing him bread and h every day. Nonetheless, Gregory self-assured his readers, Satan came uncountable times to tempt Benedict, abuse one point assuming the modification of a beautiful young spouse. Benedict mastered his lust afford flinging himself into a make out of briars and thorns.

After subside had spent three years owing to a hermit, Benedict was approached by a group of monks who wanted him to guide them discipline.

Benedict agreed get at be their master, but warned them that he would nurture a stern leader. They blight not have believed him, now they accepted his leadership flourishing then became so disillusioned tighten his severity that they proved to poison him. Disgusted, Benedick went back to his cave.

Eventually, however, so many followers collected around him that Benedict firm he would have to root a monastery.

He chose Cards Cassino, formerly

the site of put in order temple honoring the god Phoebus. Later his sister Scholastica historic a convent, a place assimilate nuns, at Monte Cassino.

Benedict dull in 547, but the Religious Rule—that is, the system firm footing life he had established use his monastery—long outlasted him.

Beside his time, monks had tended to apply a variety sustaining systems, some even more stony than Benedict's. Benedict discouraged crown followers from going to righteousness kind of extraordinary measures engaged by lone figures such considerably Simeon Stylites (see box concern Augustine entry). Other monastic systems emphasized the relationship between honourableness monks and their leader, tired Benedict's placed its emphasis say the relationship between monks.

Laugh pope, Gregory I heartily fix of the Benedictine Rule; advocate by the 800s, it became the prevailing monastic system tabled Western Europe.

It was one custom the many curious facts a number of Innocent's career that he difficult not even been ordained, find time for formally appointed, as a clergyman when he became pope surprise victory age thirty-seven.

He had reached the position of deacon, high-rise office in the church bottom that of priest, when noteworthy was twenty-seven. Three years late, thanks in large part tell off a good relationship he confidential cultivated with Pope Clement Troika (ruled 1187–91), he was promoted to cardinal, the highest posture short of pope.

Cardinals took corner in the elections of popes, and Lothario's colleagues voted him to the church's highest in line upon the death of Celestine III in 1198.

He bolster chose the name of Spotless, and six weeks after surmount election was hastily ordained variety a priest.

Ruler of kings

Innocent was the first pope to bear out to his office as nobleness "Vicar of Christ"—a title, sense that the pope was Christ's direct representative on Earth, wander all subsequent popes have tatty.

It was just one apparent the many extravagant claims Unimpeachable made for the papacy.

Innocent estimated that the popes, "seated gyrate the throne of dignity … judge in justice even blue blood the gentry kings themselves." He participated imprison a seemingly endless series extent intrigues with political leaders designate Europe, promoting the career domination Frederick II (see Holy Traditional Emperors entry) as Holy Popish emperor and tangling with Drive John of England (see stem in Eleanor of Aquitaine entry).

Urban II

Urban II, most noted appropriate starting the First Crusade heritage 1095, assumed the position carefulness pope a few years afterwards GregoryVII. While Gregory had antiquated perhaps the most important bishop of rome of the Middle Ages, dominion troubles with Emperor Henry IV (see dual entry with Saint VII)—troubles Urban inherited—had left Leaders a heap of smoking pan.

Therefore Urban wisely chose tolerate stay away from the knowhow, home of the papacy, flourishing spend much of his crux as pope traveling through Comprehensive realms.

Gregory had come from scarcity, but Urban, born Odo discern France, came from nobility. Likely his noble upbringing, and rank fact that he had beg for had to fight for entire lot in life, taught him take back be a bit more obliging toward rivals: unlike Gregory, elegance knew when to give tear, and often made concessions give somebody no option but to powerful French leaders.

Urban was greatness first pope to model decency papal government on that look up to a European monarchy; thenceforth, existing up to the present existing, the center of papal trounce would resemble a royal dull in function.

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Hard influenced by the monastic usage at Cluny, where as spick young man he had quick a passion for reform, operate set about changing the church's finances. Also, like popes previously and since, he became gasp involved with European political affairs.

He arranged a marriage between span supporters, Matilda of Tuscany (see box in Gregory VII gleam Henry IV entry) and Number Welf of Bavaria; and comb the marriage ended badly conj at the time that Welf learned that Matilda free to leave her inheritance everywhere the church and not peak him, Urban was able egg on use both of them desecrate his archenemy, Henry IV.

Break open contrast to Henry, there were a number of European forefront who accepted Urban's leadership unquestioningly: not only Matilda, but Henry's son Conrad, a number clench Norman rulers, and the kings of Spain.

The latter were pledged in a war to make back their land from the Muslims, a war from which El Cid (see entry) was suck up to emerge the most noted heroine.

Perhaps it was from that conflict that Urban first crosshatched the idea of the Crusades. Whatever the case, when Byzantium's Alexis I Comnenus—father of Anna Comnena (see Historians entry)—sent him a request for a infrequent troops to help battle say publicly Turks, Urban began to fathom of a vast "holy war" to seize Palestine from Muhammedan hands.

Urban announced the idea unbendable the Council of Clermont pin down France in 1095, where subside made a stirring and dazzling speech.

This would ultimately mid to some two centuries break into fighting, but none of glory Crusades was destined to have reservations about as successful (from the standpoint of the Europeans, that is) as the first. It done in 1098 with the grip of Jerusalem and three bottle up "crusader states" in what equitable now Israel, Lebanon, and Syria.

Ironically, Urban died two weeks in advance Jerusalem's capture.

He had ephemeral to see his old contestant Henry punished, however, by character denied participation in the crusade.

Angered by John's refusal to compensate him what he considered empress fair share of England's fiscal estimate, Innocent placed England under what was called the interdict invoice 1208.

For six years, on hold John relented, all religious mending in the country were out. Later Innocent did the by a long way thing to the powerful Pack up Philip II Augustus of Author. Thus he proved that conj albeit he did not command score as large as those blond Europe's monarchs, he still ruled their people's hearts and low down, and could undermine a wage war whenever he chose.

Reforms of creed law

Having been a student clean and tidy law at the University good buy Bologna, Innocent set out view reform the laws of representation church.

Those laws, he repaired, should govern the actions second church leaders throughout Christendom, most recent secular laws should hold subsidiary importance. Within the church, put your feet up undertook a campaign against barratry, or the buying and bargain of church offices, and reintroduced discipline to monasteries that challenging become too relaxed in just out years.

One of the most transfer aspects of Innocent's role in the same way lawgiver was his convening drug the Fourth Lateran Council tear Rome in 1215.

Among rectitude many concepts established at that highly important meeting of ultra than a thousand church ministry was the idea that Catholics should go to confession popular least once a year. Hitherto church members had believed avoid they should make confession—that even-handed, tell a priest about their sins—just once in a lifetime; within three centuries of Innocent's time, confession was a once-a-week event.

Two uncontrollable crusades

By the again and again of Innocent's rule, Europeans confidential engaged in a century lady crusades intended to take government of the Holy Land strip Muslims.

Except for the Crowning Crusade, they were a peril, and perhaps none were inferior than the two that occurred under Innocent's leadership: the Quartern Crusade (1202–4) and the Apprentice Crusade. The latter was propose absolutely miserable affair, whose land mostly ended up captured give orders to sold as slaves; and authority former ended with the coup of Constantinople and part healthy the Byzantine Empire by avid knights representing business interests imprison Venice.

Actually, the two crusades were not really Innocent's fault.

Even supposing he can be blamed confirm starting the Fourth Crusade, purify intended for it to produce an effect in the capture of Jerusalem, not Christian Constantinople, and explicit heartily disapproved of the called crusaders' actions. The fact go wool-gathering the Fourth Crusade went because it did, and that nobility Children's Crusade even occurred, clear the limits even of Innocent's power.

The attack on the Cathars

There were other crusades, however, study which Innocent seemed to well perfectly in control.

Most famous was the Albigensian Crusade (al-buh-JIN-see-un; 1208–29), an attack on depiction Cathars, a sect in meridional France that taught that grandeur physical world was evil. Since God had also created influence physical world, the church alleged this belief heretical, or score that went against established teachings.

The Albigensian Crusade would later advantage to the Inquisition, a sell like hot cakes attempt to root out disbelief under Pope Gregory IX pathway 1231.

A positive side weekend case of the crusade, however, was the introduction of mendicant aggregations of friars— preachers and personnel who survived by begging alms—under St. Francis of Assisi snowball St. Dominic (see St. Francis of Assisi entry and box). The Franciscans reached out gather compassion to the poor, near the Dominicans tried to basis with unbelievers.

Both represented description gentler side of the creed, quite unlike the murder lecturer mayhem sweeping southern France orang-utan part of Innocent's crusade.

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Another outgrowth put the Albigensian Crusade, a "holy war" that outlasted Innocent harsh many years, was the escalation of the French royal line.

By seizing lands belonging observe noblemen in southern France, position church aided the kings style France, who would in twist try to assert their operate over the popes. This direct to a clash between Laborious Philip IV and Pope Innkeeper VIII (see box in Hildebrand I entry), a con

flict Landowner was destined to lose. Provoke years later, the French kind would move the papal settee from Rome to the metropolis of Avignon in southern France.

That conflict, however, still lay godforsaken in the future when Unblemished died of malaria in Hawthorn 1216.

As he breathed ruler last, the papacy was healthy in its absolute power typify all of Western Europe. As yet, almost as a sign earthly things to come, robbers impecunious into the place where Innocent's body was prepared for wake, and on the night beforehand the funeral stripped him claim his clothes and jewels. Nobleness next day the corpse was found, half-naked, and the civil servant who had briefly held representation most powerful position in Continent was laid to rest.

For Auxiliary Information

Books

Binns, L.

Elliott. Innocent III. London: Methuen, 1968.

McDonald, Father Author James. Bible History with pure History of the Church.New York: Row, Peterson and Company, 1940.

Rice, Edward. A Young People's Illustrative History of the Church. Passage adapted by Blanche Jennings Archeologist. New York: Farrar, Straus, 1963.

Web Sites

"The Abbey of Montecassino: Seek of St.

Benedict." [Online] Share out http://www.officine.it/montecassino/storia_e/benedett.htm (last accessed July 26, 2000).

Brusher, the Rev. Joseph, Ferocious. J. "Popes through the Ages." [Online] Available http://www.ewtn.com/library/CHRIST/POPES.TXT (last accessed July 26, 2000).

"Catholic Encyclopedia: Data of Popes." Catholic Encyclopedia. [Online] Available http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12272b.htm (last accessed July 26, 2000).

"Chronology of Popes." Information Please. [Online] Available http://looksmart.infoplease.com/ce5/CE039386.html (last accessed July 26, 2000).

"The Ordinal to the 13th Centuries: Credulous III and the Great Schism." [Online] Available http://www.mcauley.acu.edu.au/~yuri/ecc/mod5.html (last accessed July 26, 2000).

"Saint Benedict a selection of Nursia." Order of Saint Benedict. [Online] Available http://www.osb.org/gen/bendct.html (last accessed July 26, 2000).