John's fallout with the Pope Flashcards
Why were John and the Pope rivals in power?
Both were stubborn and wanted power. John wanted to strengthen his power over the Church, whereas Pope Innocent III wanted to strengthen his power over the Church over the secular power of the King.
Summarise the events of John’s fallout with the Pope.
- 1205: Argument over candidate for Archbishop of Canterbury.
- 1208: Pope places interdict on England.
- 1209: Pope excommunicates John.
- 1213: John resolves quarrel with Pope.
When did the Archbishop of Canterbury die?
1205.
When the Archbishop of Canterbury died in 1205, a new one needed to be chosen. Why was there conflict over who was to be appointed, and who eventually was?
- John wanted the bishop of Norwich to have the role.
- The monks of Canterbury elected a monk (named Reginald).
- Both sides appealed to the Pope, who appointed his own candidate: Stephen Langton.
When the Archbishop of Canterbury died in 1205, a new one needed to be chosen. The Pope appointed Stephen Langton. How did John react to this?
He was furious. He:
- Refused to allow Langton into England to take up his post.
- Expelled the Canterbury monks from their monastery.
- Took control of English lands belonging to the Church, both to insult the Pope and raise money from the land.
What did Pope Innocent III do when John:
- Refused to allow Langton into England.
- Expelled the Canterbury monks from their monastery.
- Took control of English lands belonging to the Church?
The Pope sent 3 bishops to negotiate with John and persuade him to accept Langton, but they failed.
What did the Pope do when the bishops he’d sent failed to persuade John to accept Stephen Langton as Archbishop of Canterbury?
As a punishment against John, he lost patience and placed an interdict (a block on certain Church-related activities) on England.
Pope Innocent III lost patience with John in 1208 and placed an interdict on England. Give 3 effects of the interdict.
- Religious services had to be delivered in churchyards, rather than inside churches.
- Sacraments (such as baptism, marriage and the last rights) could not be provided, leading Christians to fear that they would not go to Heaven.
- Burials could not be done in churchyards; people worried that the souls of the dead would not reach Heaven.
What did the Pope hope would be the effect of the 1208 interdict? Did this happen?
- The Pope hoped the interdict would cause the unhappiness of the English population and Barons to pressure John into giving in to his demands.
- The interdict did not have the desired effect; John seized further land and property from the Church.
When did Pope Innocent III place the Interdict on England?
1208.
The Pope had hoped the interdict would pressure John into giving in to his demands. It did not have the desired effect; John seized further land and property from the Church. How did the Pope react to this?
The Pope excommunicated John in 1209 (kicked him out of the Church).
The Pope excommunicated John in 1209. Give 5 effects this had on England.
- Christians (including Barons) no longer had to obey John.
- Many bishops left England.
- People lost faith in John.
- Anyone attacking England to overthrow John would get the Pope’s support.
- The Barons’ loyalty was split between the Pope and John.
When was John excommunicated?
1209.
What did John do after he was excommunicated?
He continued to seize church lands that had been left by departing bishops, gaining around £13,500 per year from the taxes he collected from the land.
What caused John to decide to make peace with the Pope?
In 1213, Philip II threatened to invade England. John wanted strength in the support of the Church, so had to resolve his quarrel with the Pope.
