Pope Innocent III (1160–1216) – the first Vicar of Christ on Earth
Pope Innocent III (1160–1216) – the first Vicar of Christ on Earth
Main part of the tombstone of Pope Innocent III, Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano
Model showing the reconstruction of the mosaic of the former Constantine Basilica, destroyed at the end of the XVI century, Museo di Roma, Palazzo Braschi
Phoenix, an element of the unpreserved decoration of the apse of the Basilica of San Pietro in Vaticano, Museo di Roma, Palazzo Braschi
Ecclesia Romana, fragment of the unpreserved apse decoration of the apse of the Basilica of San Pietro in Vaticano, Museo Barracco
Pope Innocent III, mosaic from the former Constantine Basilica San Pietro in Vaticano, Museo di Roma, Palazzo Braschi
Complex of the San Spirito Hospital funded by Innocent III (later reconstructed)
Tombstone of Pope Innocent III, end of the XIX century, basilica transept of San Giovanni in Laterano
He was probably the most powerful pope of the late Middle Ages. He considered himself to be the Vicar of Christ on Earth, an intermediary between God and men, and also the spiritual leader of all earthly rulers, who deserved unconditional obedience. For eighteen years of his pontificate, he held the wheel of authority in Europe and no decision at any European court could have been made without his approval, while anyone who dared question the papal right to priority, was excommunicated and if this did not bring about the desired effect he declared interdicts against entire kingdoms.
He was probably the most powerful pope of the late Middle Ages. He considered himself to be the Vicar of Christ on Earth, an intermediary between God and men, and also the spiritual leader of all earthly rulers, who deserved unconditional obedience. For eighteen years of his pontificate, he held the wheel of authority in Europe and no decision at any European court could have been made without his approval, while anyone who dared question the papal right to priority, was excommunicated and if this did not bring about the desired effect he declared interdicts against entire kingdoms.
He came from an aristocratic family. He studied in Paris and Bologna, where he received a thorough education in the field of law. After returning to Rome he began climbing the ladder of church career, with the turning point coming when he became a cardinal, thanks to his uncle, Pope Clement III. When he himself assumed the papal throne (1198) at the age of just 37, he became an entrepreneurial strategist and a political player.
He was the first to change, the title of “Vicarius Beati Petri” used by the popes until then, to “Vicarius Christi. And it was in the name of Christ “lower than God, but higher than man”, that Innocent III seemed to be wielding power on Earth, and just as Christ had done he also was able to capture the hearts of his subjects, who often abandoned their previous lives, to begin a life of aiding others and asceticism. This was a period of the growing popularity of the movement of the poor, following the Evangelical spirit of poverty. One of its members was Francis of Assisi. We will see his image on a fresco in a basilica in Assisi. On it he appears to Pope Innocent III in a dream, dressed in a habit and supporting the falling building of the Lateran Basilica. As we know, this history which is so beautifully illustrated here, would end with the approval of a rule presented by the humble Francis, which would yield fruits in the shape of bringing the Order of the Franciscans to life. It would be the same with St. Dominic. He would also live to see the approval of his beggar order, which would for centuries become one of the pillars of Roman Catholicism. They, but also smaller monastic formations, also brought to life during the pontificate of Innocent III (including Hospitallers of the Holy Spirit , Trinitarians), would become the defenders of faith during the times when the pope vehemently fought against all displays of hearsay, namely the movements of the Waldensians and Cathars, which – as we know – did not bring glory upon his name, however it did strengthen the unity of the Church. The papal legate Arnaud Amaury, writing to the pope from Languedoc, after the massacre of the Cathars in Béziers in 1209, informed the pope about 20 thousand dead (including women and children), joyfully exclaiming that “the divine vengeance raged miraculously”.
Innocent will also be remembered in history as the one, who persistently strove to free the Holy Land from the hands of the infidels, despite the fact that all actions he undertook, unambiguously testify against him. The IV Crusade (1202) which he organized brought about only the sack of Constantinople by the Crusades, robbery of relics and rape on citizens of the city, becoming another reason for the antagonisms between Constantinople and Rome. During his pontificate two crusades took place, the so-called Children’s Crusade (1212) with the aim to free the Holy Land not by the strength of an army but by the power of innocent, pure hearts. As we know, tens thousands of children died on their way to the Holy Land or were imprisoned.
Innocent III also became famous as a reformer of the Curia, limiting the prevalent corruption, by forbidding, under the threat of punishment, the acceptance of bribes, presents and the falsification of papal documents. On the other hand, his foundations in comparison with the power and fortune he gathered were less than imposing. He devoted particular attention to hospitals.
The pope died of malaria on a journey during which he took to organize another crusade to the Holy Land. His body was set out in a cathedral in Perugia, then his already decaying corpse was thoroughly looted. That is how the life of a man ended, whose writings (e.g. De miseria humanae conditionis) are filled with a disgust for corporeality and pessimism regarding the moral nature of man, which is – as he claimed – a consequence of the original sin.
The pope “returned” to Rome at the very end of the XIX century and was once again buried, this time in the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano. Today his tombstone is found here, above the enterance to a souvenir shop.
Roman foundations Innocent III:
San Spirito Hospital in Borgo
Modernization of the Lateran Palace
Torre del Innocenzo III – a three-story structure with a small courtyard within the premises of the Apostolic Palace
Modernization of the mosaic decorations in the apse of the old Constantine Basilica of San Pietro in Vaticano (preserved fragments in Museo di Roma, Palazzo Braschi and Museo Barracco). In the lower part there was an image of the pope. Mosaics (approx. 1212) survived all the way until 1592, when they were destroyed during the construction of a new building.
Pope Boniface VIII (1235?–1303), Benedetto Caetani – pope from the eighth circle of hell
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