RRR: Council/ruling decisions/legislation
1370
year: 1196
initiator: Pope Celestine III
recipient: Magister and brothers of the Knights Templar
institution: Templars
additional institution: Holy Sepulchre
text: Febr. 27. Lateran. Pope Celestine III informs the magister and brothers of the Order of the Knights Templar [militia Templi] that the canons of the Holy Sepulchre have complained that they have reneged on an agreement made about tithes. In particular, the Knights Templar have failed to pay the half tithes they owe for certain places. Celestine orders them to abide by the agreements.
Febr. 27. Lateran. Pope Celestine III informs the magister and brothers of the Order of the Knights Templar [militia Templi] that the canons of the Holy Sepulchre have complained that they have reneged on an agreement made about tithes. In particular, the Knights Templar have failed to pay the half... more
sources: Hiestand, PK, pp. 354-5, no. 174 (RRH no.726)
RRR: Council/ruling decisions/legislation
1455
year: 1199
initiator: Pope Innocent III
recipient: Patriarch of Jerusalem, the archbishop of Tyre and the bishop of Acre
institution: Templars
text: Dec. 15. Lateran. Pope Innocent III orders the patriarch of Jerusalem, the archbishop of Tyre and the bishop of Acre to release the Knights Templar from a sentence of excommunication improperly imposed on them by the bishop of Sidon. The bishop of Tiberias had complained that the magister and brothers of the militia Templi had held back 1300 besants and other goods of his diocese, which his predecessor had deposited with them. The pope had appointed the bishops of Sidon and Biblium as judge delegates in the case, but the Templars had sent some brothers to inform him that when they disembarked on a Wednesday at Tyre, having returned from the principality of Antioch where they had been involved in a war between the prince of Antioch and the [Muslim] lord of Aleppo, the bishop assigned the following day, the Thursday, for a hearing of the case. The magister could not attend but sent 2 brothers, who promised to respond to the complaint of the bishop of Tiberias and to observe any sentence delivered by the bishop of Sidon, even though the bishop of Biblium was absent. But the bishop of Sidon refused to hear any arguments and demanded the return of the besants to the bishop of Tiberias by the following Sunday; otherwise he would excommunicate all the Templars, in the West as well as in the East. The 2 brothers hurried to Acre and the magister appealed to the patriarch to settle the case and avoid scandal. But on the following Sunday the bishop of Sidon solemnly and publicly excommunicated the whole Order in the church of the Holy Cross in Tyre. The pope orders the patriarch to look into the matter and, if the bishop of Sidon is guilty, to suspend him from office until the papacy lifts the suspension and to absolve the Knights Templar.
Dec. 15. Lateran. Pope Innocent III orders the patriarch of Jerusalem, the archbishop of Tyre and the bishop of Acre to release the Knights Templar from a sentence of excommunication improperly imposed on them by the bishop of Sidon. The bishop of Tiberias had complained that the magister and... more
sources: Innocent III, Die Register 2:471-3, no. 247 (RRH no. 764)
RRR: Council/ruling decisions/legislation
1541
year: 1205
initiator: Pope Innocent III
recipient: King Leon I of Cilician Armenia
institution: Templars
text: Jan. 18. Rome. St Peter’s. The magister and brothers of the Knights Templar [militia Templi] have complained that the king of Cilician Armenia has fired their casalia, confiscating beasts and crops to the value of 50000 besants, and has seized 2 of their castles [castra], rupes W[i]ll[elm]i and rupes Ruissoli. Pope Innocent III encourages King Leon to make satisfaction and informs him that he has appointed the episcopus Bibliensis and the episcopus Valaniensis as judge delegates to hear the case.
Jan. 18. Rome. St Peter’s. The magister and brothers of the Knights Templar [militia Templi] have complained that the king of Cilician Armenia has fired their casalia, confiscating beasts and crops to the value of 50000 besants, and has seized 2 of their castles [castra], rupes W[i]ll[elm]i and... more
sources: Innocent III, Die Register 7:340-1, no. 189 (RRH no. 801)
RRR: Council/ruling decisions/legislation
1641
year: 1211
initiator: Pope Innocent III
recipient: Patriarch of Jerusalem, the papal legate
institution: Templars
text: May 18. Lateran. Pope Innocent III reminds the papal legate, the patriarch of Jerusalem, that he had already ordered him to judge in the dispute between the king of Cilician Armenia and the Knights Templar over the castle of Gaston and other issues. The Templars were prepared to submit to judgement, but the king had refused to accept their approach and had occupied by force their property in portus Bonellus and in other places in Armenia, which provided them with much of their sustenance, installing guards [custodes] in their houses. The patriarch had ordered the king to withdraw his guards and had excommunicated him, warning the inhabitants of, and pilgrims to, the Latin East to do nothing to assist him. The king then seized all the Templar possessions in Cilician Armenia, except for 2 castles which he could not occupy, and destroyed Templar casalia in the principality of Antioch to deprive their castles of provisions. Knights Templar and their companions had been wounded and killed. Innocent is writing to the patriarch of Antioch, the archbishop of Tyre and the bishops of Sidon, Tripoli, Tortosa [Anteradensis], Limassol and Famagusta, and King John of Jerusalem, confirming the excommunication of the king of Cilician Armenia and ordering them to publicize it.
May 18. Lateran. Pope Innocent III reminds the papal legate, the patriarch of Jerusalem, that he had already ordered him to judge in the dispute between the king of Cilician Armenia and the Knights Templar over the castle of Gaston and other issues. The Templars were prepared to submit to judgement... more
sources: Schabel, Bullarium 1:155-8, no. b-32 (RRH no. 851)
RRR: Council/ruling decisions/legislation
1684
year: 1213
initiator: Pope Innocent III
recipient: Patriarch of Jerusalem
institution: Templars
text: Mar. 15-22. Lateran. Pope Innocent records that the patriarch of Jerusalem has informed him that, after the bishop of Sidon had left the Holy Land for the Holy See, a letter had arrived from the king of Cilician Armenia offering immediate peace with the Knights Templar, humbly begging for absolution from his excommunication and asking for justice in his case and that of his nephew against the count of Tripoli. Meanwhile the count of Tripoli had argued that as he held Antioch from the emperor of Constantinople he was exempt from patriarchal jurisdiction. The pope orders the patriarch of Jerusalem to absolve the king from his excommunication, but to deny him and his nephew justice in their dispute with the count of Tripoli for the time being, because of his grave offences. As for the count of Tripoli, his argument that he is subject to the emperor of Constantinople should be dismissed as frivolous and inane.
Mar. 15-22. Lateran. Pope Innocent records that the patriarch of Jerusalem has informed him that, after the bishop of Sidon had left the Holy Land for the Holy See, a letter had arrived from the king of Cilician Armenia offering immediate peace with the Knights Templar, humbly begging for... more
sources: Innocent III, ‘Register’ 216:792-3, no. 7 (RRH no. 863)
RRR: Council/ruling decisions/legislation
1975
year: 1225
initiator: Pope Honorius III
recipient: Magister of the Knights Templar
institution: Templars
text: Jan. 10. Lateran. The bishop of Tortosa [Anteradensis episcopus] has complained to Pope Honorius III about the behaviour of the Knights Templar. Lordship of the city of Tortosa is divided between the bishop and the Templars, but the latter, breaking the terms of division laid down a century ago, have ignored the bishop’s lordship [dominium], treating his part as their own, taking control of the city gate that belongs to the church, publicly proclaiming [bannum proclamare] that they have full rights and impeding the operation of the bishop’s meat market [becaria] and the freedom of merchants to sell his grain and wine. They have built 2 new churches in their part of the city, in which they have installed Greek priests [Greci presbyteri] in defiance of the bishop and the Holy See. They have refused to pay their dues, including tithes, to the bishopric, according to the evidence provided by their own rustici Sarraceni, and they have detained tribute paid by [the town of] Coeblum. They have denied the bishop his parochial rights at Castellum Album. The pope gravely rebukes the magister and brothers of the Knights Templar. He orders them to make satisfaction and informs them that he has ordered the archbishops of Tyre and Caesarea and the bishop of Acre to enforce his judgement.
Jan. 10. Lateran. The bishop of Tortosa [Anteradensis episcopus] has complained to Pope Honorius III about the behaviour of the Knights Templar. Lordship of the city of Tortosa is divided between the bishop and the Templars, but the latter, breaking the terms of division laid down a century ago,... more
sources: Claverie, Honorius, pp. 403-5, no. 89