Pope Innocent III

Also known as: Innocent / Innocent III / Innocentius / Nocent / Pope Innocent / pope Innocent / pope Innocentius · Family: Papacy · Role: pope · First appears: King John 11

Around c. 1205, Pope Innocent III rejected the elections of Reignold (subprior of Canterbury) and John de Gray for the archbishopric of Canterbury and nominated a third person by his own authority. He procured the Canterbury monks to choose Stephen Langton, whom he confirmed as archbishop; John Ferentino later came as his legat into England, while he disannulled the elections of Reginald FitzJocelin and John de Gray.

By c. 1211, Pope Innocent III absolved King John’s subjects from their oaths and formally deprived him of his royal dignity, declaring his purpose “to depriue king John of his kinglie state.” In c. 1213, King John submitted to the pope’s order, granted England and Ireland to the Roman Church, delivered the submission charter to Pandulph, and swore fealty to Pope Innocent III, the Roman Church, and Saint Peter. The interdiction was removed in 1214 through arrangements involving Nicholas, Cardinal of Tusculum.

In c. 1215, King John sought Pope Innocent III’s aid against the barons through Walter, Bishop of Worcester, John, Bishop of Norwich, and Richard de Marish. Pope Innocent declared the liberties granted to the barons void and ordered them to obey King John; influenced by Gualo, he favored the king’s cause, and Peter des Roches and Pandulph pronounced excommunication against the barons. He then excommunicated by name Robert FitzWalter, Saer de Quincy, Earl of Winchester, Geoffrey de Mandeville, Earl of Essex, William de Mandeville, Hugh, Earl of Hereford, Robert de Percy, Geoffrey de Vescy, J. Constable of Chester, William de Mowbray, William de Albini, Peter de Braose, Robert de Cressy, Ranulfe Fitz Robert, Roger Bigot, Earl of Norfolk, Robert de Vere, Foulke Fitz Warren, William Mallet, William de Montacute, William FitzMarshall, William de Beauchamp, Simon de Kyme, Robert de Montbégon, and Nicholas de Stuteville, among others. Philip II of France was ready to fulfill the pope’s command, and Pope Innocent III died in c. 1216, succeeded by Pope Honorius III.