History of the Crusades

the Crusades Episode 143, the Crusade, the Crusade against the Cathars, we need to talk about King John.

Hello again. Last week we saw Pope Innocent surprise everyone by declaring a shock

reversal of his decision to end the crusade against the Cathars. In weighing up the choice between whether to

support King Peter the second of Aragon or Simon de Monfor, Pope innocent largely came down on the side of Simon de Monfort.

Now before we discuss the ramifications of the decision, we should take a closer look at the decision itself.

As you all know, Pope Innocent has a legal background, and his change of mind was less of a simple backflip and more of a reverse

quadruple summer salt in the pike position. His priority at this time lay clearly with his new project, a crusade to the Middle East to retake Jerusalem.

And it's possible that he still held concerns that the crusade against the Cathars had become

less about persecuting, converting or eliminating heretics and more about empire Building by Simon de Monfort.

However, it was also clear that King Peter II II of Aragon had been engaging in empire building plans of his own and his support

for the heretic harbouring rebel southern counts had to end. The lengthy letter sent by Pope Innocent to King Peter is largely

conciliatory in tone, but while not being confrontational it sets out in pretty clear terms the people demand

that Aragon must not support the counts of Foix and Camage and Count Raymond the sixth of Toulouse until they are all fully committed to

expelling heretics from their lands and are fully reconciled with the church.

He is an extract from the letter.

Pope innocent in this part of the letter is calling King Peter your serenity and I quote, we have decided formally to instruct your serenity in the name of the

Holy Spirit and under the mantle of divine and apostolic grace to abandon the Toulouseans and their accomplices

without delay. Any promises or undertakings given by them or received from them which are derogatory to the teachings of the church

must not stand in the way.

They and their allies must receive no advice, help or favour from you or anyone else

as long as they remain in their present state."

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