1555

Jul. 12. Rome. St Peter’s. Pope Innocent III rebukes Cardinal Peter of St Marcellus, the papal legate, for leaving the Holy Land and returning to Constantinople, together with Cardinal Soffred of St Praxedis. With the death of the patriarch the church of Jerusalem has been vacant. There is warfare between the king of Armenia and the count of Tripoli over the principality of Antioch. With the death of King A. of Jerusalem and his son the kingdom has no government and its enemies may be tempted to break the truce. Pilgrims and settlers and the archbishop of Tyre have followed Peter to Constantinople. Peter’s actions with respect to the patriarch of Antioch and the abbas sancti P. are quashed. There follows criticisms with respect to Latin Greece, where Peter has been absolving crusaders [crucesignati] from their vows. Innocent has appointed the bishop of Vercelli to be the next patriarch and Peter should return to the Holy Land in expectation of the patriarch’s arrival.