History of the Crusades

the Crusades Episode 221, the Baltic Crusades, the Prussian Crusade, the Prussian Crusade Part 3, Bishop Christian. Hello again.

Last week we took a look at early attempts by Poland to turn their

Prussian neighbours into Christians. There was a Polish crusade into Prussia in the year 1147 and another two expeditions during the following 50 years, but neither made much of an impact,

with the Prussians reverting back to paganism as soon as the armies withdrew. The early years of the 13th century saw a reduction in the number of military expeditions to Prussia, and instead, Cistercian missionaries did their best

to convert the pagans.

When we left last week's episode in the year 1210, the Cistercian Order, which had never really viewed

missionary work as one of their core functions had just recalled all their missionaries from Prussia.

Now it appears that Pope Innocent disagreed with the decision of the

Cistercans to recall their monks from Prussia because shortly after the

decision was made, Pope Innocent appointed the Archbishop of Genesno as his legate

and instructed him to protect the missionary work which was currently taking place in Prussia.

In a Papal bull in the year 1212, Pope Innocent went further.

He announced that he was appointing two Cistercian monks,

one called Christian and one called Philip to preach to the Prussians with a view to converting

them to Christianity.

This indication of direct papal interest in the Christianization of Prussia seems to have done the trick.

The leaders of the Cistercian Order made arrangements to establish a Cistercian convent in Prussia,

and the monk Christian, who had been selected by Pope Innocent to preach to the Prussians was appointed as the

Abbot of this new Prussian Christian outpost.

Now since Christian has now become an abbot you might be wondering about the fate of the other

people appointee, the Cistercian monk Philip.

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