6. John and the Church - general notes

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Innocent III (became pope in 1199) was keen to exert papal authority over John. Relations between the pair plummeted between 1205-1213, due to election of a new archbishop

After the death of Hubert Walter in 1205 John, being King, believed he could elect his next archbishop. He put forward John de Grey, a man of the King's court. Lanfranc, Becket and Hubert Walter had all been royal apointments

The monks at Canterbury believed they had a right to elect the next archbishop as well. As John was now a wounded King, after the loss of Normandy 1204, the monks took the opportunity to elect an archbishop in secret, electing Reignald. However, when pressed by the King they denied this, electing the King's candidate.

Thus, two candidates, one sent by John, one by the monks, appeared at Rome. This disputed election led to Innocent rejecting both candidates, choosing his own nominee Stephen Langton, as the archbishop, consecrated in 1207. John's rights of appointment and patronage are challanged

John, infuriated by this action, rejects Langton, due to his links with Philip of France. John threatened to cut of the Curia's profits in England, and enforce the 1164 constitution of Clarendon forbidding English clerics to go to Rome. He later threatened to confiscate all church property

Due to John's disobedience, Innocent places an interdict on England March 1208. John retaliated by arresting illegal mistresses of priests and clerks, and confiscated clerical property from those who stopped performing religious ceremonies

During this time, John did not seem overly phased, and successfully financially exploited the church

The first years of John's reign involved peaceful relations with the papacy

John then said that Langton should not be trusted, resulting in Innocent excommunicating him November 1209 - this failed to make much of an impact

However, 'John was no more assertive or rapacious... than his royal predecessors' (Harper-Bill)

Terms of the interdict were harsh: no service was to be performed, except baptism and penance of the dying. No Christian burials, no mass and no last sacrament for the dying. However, what was and wasn't allowed varied, causing confusion in the church

Chroniclers exaggerate the years of the interdict and excommunication, stating a period of chaos. State that John spoiled religious houses and forced the clergy of England to testify falsely that whatever John had stolen was of their own free will.

However, this doesn't seem overly true. John remained unmoved in this era, continuing his charity to churches, and built three new abbeys in 1213.

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The English church was used to long vacancies and absentee bishops therefore had developed the machinery to cope without them - thus England wasn't overly harmed

Main political effect of the excommunication was that the no catholic subjects should have contact with John in any way. This created a dilemma, as the barons and bishops didn't know who to pledge obedience to. Letters from the pope urged them to be faithful to Rome, resulting in many bishops fleeing the realm. Barons didn't seem to take much notice of the Pope's demands.

In 1209 John insisted that all free tenants pledge an oath of homage to him. This shows he was determined to show Innocent that he still had political control in his own realm

The first serious attempt to achieve a peaceful solution to the interdict was made in 1211 where the Pope sent men on his behalf to meet John. They demanded the public surrender of John, to restore Langton and exiled bishops. Threatened by the pope, suggesting a threat of disposition and encouragement of an invasion by Philip Augustus on England

By 1213 John was ready to submit to the Pope. Why? Feared that Philip would invade England with papal approval, feared for his own salvation (but why did he leave this until 1213?) and feared of the desertion of his barons if Philip did invade - Unsurprisingly, John feared the man who captured Normandy and gave refuge to English rebels. If John had papal support, Philip would have no support of the pope thus no reason no invade England

However, the terms proposed by Innocent in 1213 were harsher than those two years earlier. John had to financially compensate the English church, and accept the return of rebels. The interdict was only to be renounced once the terms had been fulfilled. Langton was allowed to replace the sentences if John should ever break the terms of the agreement

John did more than this, and paid homage to the pope and surrendered England to papal overlordship - became a feudal vassal of the pope

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Some view this as humiliating. Some view it as a shrewd move, removing Philip's cause to invade England, and ensured the support of the pope against any rebellious barons

Really there was nothing unusual about subjecting a kingdom to feudal overlordship from Rome; kingdoms like Hungary, Sicily and Leon were all papal vassals

John didn't actually complete all these terms: he was to investigate all custodians of Church property, but realising this would be a lengthy process, settles on a figure of 100 000marks, which the bishops disapproved of but the pope accepted. However, it is unlikely John every repaid very much - shows his skill

Interdict was finally relaxed 1214

The grip that John exerted on his realm between 1208 and 1211 was severe and overbearing. Extended the power of the crown over Scotland, Wales and Ireland, exiled baronial families who opposed his rule, extracted vast sums of money from England's jews, and faced down the pope in a battle for supremacy

John and Innocent's quarrel involved power, precedent (example) and pre-eminence (superiority)

Innocent believed he had ultimate suzerainty over each of Europe's Kings - hence why he declined John's candia

Immediately after the interdict John's royal officers swept England, seizing clerical property. Two weeks later the now dispossessed clergy could buy back their property - many were forced to hand over extremely large revenues to be free from direct royal interference in the future.

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The sentence that was intended by Innocent to put the fear of popes into King John had in fact expanded the ro

Most major thing that resulted from the excommunication was the mass exodus of English bishops - actually benefited John. As bishoprics and abbacies fell into vacancy, their profits reverted to the crown

Interdict established John's temporary supremacy over the Church

Foul treatment of the de Briouze family. Demonstrates his thirst for wealth, desire to establish power over the Celtic fringe, and his hostility towards some of his greatest and richest subjects.

Rebellion in Wales 1212 first serious challenge to John's authority since 1205

After the English victory in John's name, where John's half brother defeated Philip's unprepared fleets before setting off on their invasion, John attempted to reduce his list of enemies and weaken Philip's cause by making peace with Rome

John dragged out the interdict and diplomacy with Rome in order to continue gaining finances

John submitted to Rome in 1213 after rejecting a better settlement in 1211 as by 1212 John's political situation was deteriorating: Philip was gaining strength (by 1213 planning to invade), John short of land and cash, 1212 conspiracy amongst his rebels (plot to kill him)

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The fact that the Canterbury monks secretly elected Reginald to be the next archbishop shows immediately that John wasn't given the respect necessary to successfully uphold a kingdom

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